We Should Get Coffee Sometime
by karivalentina
Summary: What if Sawyer and Juliet had a child? Some Jacket and Skate (barely any). But SULIET CONQUERS ALL. This is a 3 in 1 story: Dharma, sideways, and post-island timelines. The incident happens, yet some variables have changed. How will having a child change their destiny ?
1. Why Are You Doing This, Juliet?

Why Are You Doing This, Juliet?

_Her eyes glued on his perfectly wrinkled little face, as soon as the nurse laid him in her arms. She let out a little cry of delight, as she held him close to her body. Someone was moving about, getting ready to cut the umbilical cord, but all she could focus on was how perfect he was. Oh, and his hair! She stared at his beautiful blond hair in fascination. She felt as if in a trance, as someone in the room (female) asked for the baby's name. _

"_David" her husband said, joyfully. "His name is David," he reiterated. _

_Juliet looked at her husband in shock as if it was the first time she had seen him today. The man's face beamed, and there were unshed tears in his eyes… yet something was not right. _

_She shook her head. "No, it's James" she said emphatically, vaguely aware of her surroundings. "But we will call him "Jimmy." _

_The nurse mumbled something under hear breath, as she put the baby on a scale and took his measurements. This couple was certainly odd; she couldn't figure out what was going on with them. During labor, they had acted more like polite strangers than husband and wife. Now this. After cleaning up the baby and wrapping him in warm blankets, she handed him down again to the new mother. _

_The nurse moved to the nearest writing surface and picked up a pen. "Well, it looks like you folks need sometime to come to an agreement" the nurse said, slowly enunciating each word carefully, putting the pen down a bit regretfully, as she would have liked to have been able to fill out the name on the corresponding box on the temporary birth certificate. Oh, well, this was going to be another long day, so much for her wish of getting off early. She sighed, walked over to the new mom, and took the baby from her as she explained that she needed to get the baby to the nursery to get his first shots and other protocol. _

"_But, what if there is a mix up? I've heard this happens….family walks out of the hospital with the wrong baby!" Juliet found herself panicking._

_The nurse gave her a killer look. "m'am….this does not happen anymore….we have a strict protocol for this kind of thing….that's what the bracelets are for" she added, with a particularly pronounced southern accent, while her eyes pointed to Juliet's wrists._

"_He has one too" her husband added with a condescending smile, fixing his eyes on the baby._

_Juliet looked at her wrist and then at the baby's in shock, feeling quite foolish for not noticing before. As an obstetrician herself, she knew about this. So why was she acting like this? She knew about the security systems attached to the wristbands that would go off if the person with the wrong code picked up the child. She was definitely in a daze, and she felt strange about this._

"_No system is foolproof" Juliet countered. _

_The nurse rolled her eyes and sneered._

_Then, as if suddenly realizing that her husband was actually good for something after all, she asked him to go with the baby and not let him out of his sight._

**2015**

James woke up drenched in sweat. It was another one of his recurring nightmares: As a young child, he hid underneath his bed, trembling with fear. His dad comes into his room with a shot gun, and then sits on the bed. James decides to come out of his hiding place and starts running. He runs until he finds himself alone in the woods. He's now an adult. He hears someone screaming his name. It's her: it's Juliet. Frantically, he looks for her and can't find her. She keeps screaming his name, but he can't find her. It is usually at this point that he wakes up shaking.

He looked at the clock at his bed side**. **3:00 am. He frowned. The nightmares were becoming more frequent, as it usually did during stressful times in his life. Last time it had happened after Juliet's death on the island. Seven years ago. Shit, he had to be at the courthouse at 8:00 am sharp for the hearing. _He could lose everything tomorrow_. It was his child. Had he not lost enough people in his life already? _Get a grip, Ford._ He had to get some sleep; he could not walk into the courthouse looking like a zombie….

4:50 am. He thought about Juliet. 5:30 am**.** James was still about in his bed, reached his arm across the bed with his eyes closed, half expecting her to be there.

_**1974 Flashback**_

With his eyes closed, and in that state of mind where you think you may be asleep but are not quite sure, he pictured her sitting at the dock, with the light of the moon shining on her golden hair. He had asked her to give him two weeks, and she had flashed that gorgeous smile of hers. He had wanted to kiss her right then, insanely happy with appreciation, but he did not want to scare her off….or get slapped. She was hard to read most times; thus, he was not actually sure why she was even staying. Did she even like him? Was it a sense of loyalty, the sense that she owed him for saving her from the flaming arrows? The next two weeks did not give him a better indication of how she felt about him; even though they enjoyed many evenings together, talking like old friends. As it turned out, the next submarine did not return for another six months.

Six months passed. James told her that Horace had decided to offer James a house to himself, after many months of sharing a place with Jin and Miles. He said it was to show his appreciation.

"Why I was thinkin' you would enjoy your own place…unless you enjoy living with Amy" James told Juliet after relating the news about the new place. "Although now that Amy is dating Horace, you might start feelin' like giving them their privacy, you know" he grinned playfully.

"I'm taking the sub on Tuesday" Juliet said matter- of- factly.

She had everything packed, ready to leave the island. She had already said her good byes to everyone. James ran to meet her right before she boarded the sub, and once again, asked her to stay. She walked over to him, invading his personal space and sighed.

"I can't" she began apologetically.

Right then, his lips decided to meet hers. The world around them seemed to stop to watch them. He drew her closer. She kissed him back for a few seconds, before gently pushing him away with the palms of her hands.

"Stay" he whispered, his eyes desperately searching hers.

Oh, God, how could she resist those eyes? Moreover, she had been secretly hoping he would come chasing after her like this. She turned to look back at the sub that was waiting behind them. The man who had been holding the door open for her was looking at her impatiently. She shook her head, indicating that she was not boarding; then she looked into the sea of faces that had gathered to watch the submarine glide away.

Juliet walked off the dock, swinging her small suitcase, and with James trailing right behind her. As they walked past the crowd, Juliet saw Miles and Jin grinning like idiots. She mentally prepared herself by the taunting that was sure to come. _I'm going to show them_. She smiled, thinking how much fun that would be. _When you are the only female among this band of merry men, you have to be able to give as good as you get._

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw James walk to where Horace and Phil stood talking. Purposely, she continued walking towards Miles and Jin. She might as well get it over with…and see what Miles had to say_._ There was no sense in postponing this encounter; just like it was foolish to put off a much needed visit to the dentist.

"Do I hear wedding bells ringing?" Miles smirked; his tone of voice filled with unrelenting joy.

"Maybe in your dreams" Juliet quickly replied. "I've already been married before…and once is certainly enough for me!" she added, knowing that her answer would momentarily knock Miles out of his game, as she had never discussed her marital status; hopefully long enough for her to plan out her next remark.

Jin smiled, clearly amused at their banter. "I'm glad you're back, Juliet."

Juliet smiled at Jin in silent appreciation.

"Hey…shacking up is fair game too….It's the 70's after all" Miles added mischievously.

"Miles…. '_never_ _send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee,_'" She replied smoothly.

**_End of Flashback_**


	2. It's the Ghost of Christmas Future

It's the Ghost of Christmas Future

**2008**

James and Kate sat on a bench by the monkey cages. Clementine, who had just turned six, stood up close watching the monkeys.

"She looks so happy, doesn't she?" Kate said.

"Yeah, she does." He sighed. "Hope Cassidy understands…"

"Listen…I'll talk to her, she'll come around," She said nonchalantly.

He looked at her funny. _Hmmm._ _Kate and Cassidy. Hmmm._ He still had trouble wrapping his head around this.

"She listens to me" Kate insisted.

"Maybe she's done listenin' to ya?"

"Don't be so negative" she rolled her eyes disapprovingly.

"Yeah, yeah….whatever you say," he chanted.

An older couple in their seventies sat beside them.

"Perfect day for the zoo" The older man smiled at James. "Not too warm, not too cool."

The older man and James made small talk about the weather; while Kate looked distractedly around her. She was lost in thought. Yet, her ears perked up at something James said.

"Not crazy about them cages…." James smirked. "Make me feel sort of claustrophobic…"

"Good thing those cages are for _them_," the woman chuckled.

Shortly afterwards, the couple went on their merry way as they waved good-bye.

Clementine was still standing up close to the monkey cages. James marveled at how beautiful she was. In the glare of the midday sun, her brown hair sported some streaks of blonde intertwined with the rest of her hair. There was no way he was going to miss out on being part of her life…not after everything he'd lost….

"Not all was pain and misery, you know" Kate suddenly stated, with a serious look on her face.

"_Misery_….darn it, Freckles…ain't that like the name of a darn book?" He grinned. "Well, well, well….wonder who wrote that one?" James paused for a particularly dramatic effect. "Oh, yeah that's right….isn't none other than the King of horror tales himself!"

Kate rolled her eyes. _Some things never change_, she thought.

After dropping his child off at her mother's at the end of the day, they picked up some Chinese take-out, and headed to his place. He lived alone in a small studio sized apartment with only the bare necessities. The only people he saw on a regular basis were Kate, and the guys at the U-Haul place where he worked. He had recently cut Miles out of his life. The guy just wouldn't stop harassing him about his drinking. _What's the big deal? Hitting the bottle on weekends was not a crime._

Every Saturday, for the last couple of months, Kate would show up at exactly 7:00 pm with some take- out food in tow. Then, they would wash down their food with some beer right and talked for a while. Lastly, she would leave and disappear out of his life until the following Saturday.

They sat at the table across from one another and ate in silence. He was grateful for the fact that they hardly ever talked about anything important or even remotely uncomfortable. He knew she was depressed over losing Aaron, as Claire had decided to go back to Australia. But, did he really need to know what else was going on in her life? Similarly, he knew that Kate did not really want to hear him talk about Juliet. Yet sometimes, he would inadvertently mention her name. Kate would then glare at him. _At least, she doesn't mind my drinking_, he thought.

Their little trip to the zoo was an exception. They had talked more than usual since they had left the island five months ago.

Then, he noticed Kate gazing in his direction. She smiled when his eyes met hers.

"Can I stay the night? She asked sweetly.

* * *

_Juliet woke up with a start. The baby in her dreams had beautiful blond hair, and the most beautiful dimpled smile. She wiped her sweaty forehead, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness. She had the strange feeling that the baby in her dreams was very real. She was certain that she had once held that baby and caressed its cheeks…maybe thousands of times? In the far corner of the room, she saw the baby's bassinet. He was still sleeping. She quietly approached the bassinet, half expecting to see the blond haired baby. Instead, she saw THIS dark haired boy. She was greatly disappointed. The worst part was that she could not understand why._

_She shook her head, maybe it was the baby blues, she decided. Slowly, she climbed back in bed with her sleeping husband. She was still awake at the crack of dawn, when the 'man in her bed' woke up. Still, she could not move. She remained still in bed, as though she was watching a movie, where she had a starring role._

"_Juliet, are you listening?"_

"_I'm sorry…" she murmured, confused. _

"_He's still sleeping" he said with a smile. Next thing she knew, he was leaning over to kiss her and they were having sex. At one point, she had called him "James." _

"_Jack" he corrected her, rolling off to his side of the bed. He was getting tired of this. This must be some kind of game she was playing. Maybe she was getting back at him for rejecting the name she'd wanted, and insisting on naming their child David instead? Maybe she felt overruled and hated him now? One thing was for sure, he was tired of this battle…._

"_Who is this James?" he asked suspiciously. _Just wait until I get my hands on that bastard!

"_I don't know" she answered honestly._

_He stared at her in utter disbelief. "Tell me!" he demanded._

* * *

_**Flashback 1974 **_

Once they were alone together that evening at his new place, she rebuked him for putting her on the spot like that. "I had to stay….What else could I do? Everyone was watching" Juliet smirked.

"So, it was for everyone else's benefit…and ya really don't care about me one way or the other" he countered.

"That's right" she said, moving past him towards the kitchen. "I mean….I like you as a friend, that's all."

"Hmmm….well, that kiss…told a different story," he replied, blocking her way.

She sighed and went around him. Then, she went to the kitchen to open the refrigerator. Once again, he glided over to block her way. She was starting to feel uncomfortable. Although, the way he was looking at her….she had to admit, was taking her breath away. They locked eyes. She just couldn't help it. They kissed again. This time, it was a much longer kiss. She put her arms around his neck, and he slid his hand underneath the small of her back as he deepened the kiss.

"Just say you want me" he whispered in her ear.

She froze. "NO" she said suddenly, while pushing him away with the palm of her hands. "I'm not ready for this."

He looked at her questioningly. _What does she really want?_

She moved to stand behind the kitchen counter, facing him.

"Look…every relationship I've been in….It just hasn't worked out" she stated flatly.

"Is this about Jack?"

"Anymore than it is about Kate?"

"They ain't comin' back" he remarked, matter- of- factly.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** What do you think should happen next? Should James step back a bit and give her more time? Is it too soon for them? Does she need to make sure that he's over Kate before anything else happens?

Please review and tell me what you think. Every review counts!


	3. We Had an Agreement

**A/N: In this chapter, things get steamy between James and Juliet! Thanks to all who have reviewed: you are the best source of inspiration!**

We Had an Agreement

**2008**

It was a Saturday morning in late September in Birmingham, Alabama. The weather was usually around 75 degrees this time of year. Cassidy had agreed for James to take Clementine for the day. They ate breakfast together as soon as they arrived at his apartment. Afterwards, Clementine pulled out a few things from her backpack and spread them all across the living room. There were two barbies wearing gorgeous princess dresses, a baby doll and some books. These books, which he was very familiar with, were written by Dr. Seuss: _The Cat in the Hat_ and _Green Eggs and Ham._ James sat on the couch next to her. He stared at the books as if afraid they would catch on fire.

Then, she pulled out another book that he had never seen before. It had the all familiar Cat in the Hat logo on the cover, but it was not written by Dr. Seuss. He read the title: _I Want to be Somebody New_ by Robert Lopshire. _Hmmm…what was this about? Teaching kids to cope with identity crisis? _

"Read it to me, Daddy" Clementine pleaded, snuggling close to him on the couch while handing him the book.

Somewhat reluctantly, James picked up the book. On the first page he noticed the copyright date: 1986. No wonder he had not seen this book before. The other two books had been around in the 70's but not this one. He clearly remembered reading those books to his son with Juliet numerous times.

"Daddy?" Clementine questioned, expectantly.

He shook his head and began reading:

"Once I wanted

To be in the zoo.

And that was the day

I first met you."

Clementine giggled as he read the last sentence of the introductory page.

"See? That was the day I first met you too! And it was at the zoo!" she said happily, delighted at the connection she had made.

Charmed by her words, he smiled. "So….you're telling me now, that I'm like this spotted creature here now? He pointed at a large sized animal which was standing upright; it had spots all over his body and an extremely long tail. "And this is you right here now….pretty lil' thing, cute lil' bow on her head?" he added, pointing to the girl next to the creature, tilting his head to the side to meet her eyes with a smirk.

She giggled again in utter delight. "I told all my friends about you! They are all jealous, you know…. their daddies don't even take them to the zoo!"

He shook his head dramatically. "Hey….sounds like I'd better have a talk with those other daddies" he said, his voice filled with amusement.

She shrugged her shoulders in response. She flashed a big quiet smile, dimples showing.

"Can we go again today, Daddy? She asked expectantly. "We can ask Auntie Kate and…."

"Not today, sweetheart," he added, turning to the next page of the book.

"Is Auntie Kate coming over today?"

"Nope, not today," he said. _Hopefully, we won't be seeing much of her from now on. _ Then, he went back to reading the book, complete with voice-overs and special sound effects.

* * *

**_1974_**

Juliet looked at the clock hanging above their stove. She felt exhausted. She had to put an end to this conversation. She needed to get to bed.

"It doesn't really matter about Jack and Kate, anyway." She stated. "Whether they're coming back or not…it's only been six months anyway."

James sighed. The truth was that his old flame Kate was no longer the first thing he thought about when he woke up in the morning. She had been effectively replaced by captivating visions of Juliet. For a second, he pondered whether this was the right time to tell her this. He was still debating this idea, when she spoke again.

"Look…just cause I've agreed to live with you does not mean I have to sleep with you. If you don't see it that way…I can always go back to Amy's."

He looked at her blankly. What was he supposed to say?_ She certainly doesn't believe in beating around the bush. Now is not a good time, _he decided._ If I don't agree to this, she'll think that I feel entitled to benefits… _

"Do we agree on this?" she persisted.

He nodded. "Hmmm….fine," he half-smiled. "That can be our agreement for now" he stared at her for a long time, as the wheels turned in his head. "Sooner or later, though….you'll be the one to break it" he challenged her in a calculated, yet playful tone of voice.

"We'll see about _that_," she countered with glee.

**During week one,** James got her a present: it was a harlequin romance novel. She found it wrapped with a nice little bow, sitting nicely on her nightstand. That night, he lay awake on the couch, hoping that the novel was steamy hot. He did not fall asleep until he saw that she had turned the light off in the bedroom. The next day, Juliet walked around the house in a tank top and shorts (instead of the usual short sleeve top and jeans). His eyes followed her every move.

It was Juliet's night to fix dinner. James helped her setting the table. They made small talk about their day. He waited until they were seated and eating their supper, before asking her what she thought about the book.

"It's very….It's supposed to be this great romance novel….but it is incredibly chauvinistic….the girl is just a poor damsel in distress that just longs to be 'taken' by her man." She replied, with disdain in her voice. "She plays such a passive role, it's just ridiculous!"

He smirked. "Well, what do ya expect, sweetheart? It's the 70's for heaven's sake!" He countered defensively. Strike one. So_, she didn't even like the book._

"Thanks for dinner" he said, swiftly pushing his plate away. "Gotta go and see Horace and Phil now…" he said, suddenly dashing to grab some papers he had left at the coffee table in the living room.

"This late?" she questioned, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

**During week two,** James walked in on her while she was in the bathroom, brushing her hair. She always kept the door slightly ajar while she did this. They both knew it. Although mildly surprised, she remained cool as a cucumber to see him casually walk in.

"Mike called. He needs ya to come in 10 minutes early today," he said standing by the door.

"Oh" she mumbled. She continued to brush her hair.

Then, he motioned to the fixture behind them, next to the toilet.

"It's a bidet" he informed her. "It was widely used in the 70's by women for…"

"I know what it's for" she replied coldly.

"Now….have ya ever tried it? He grinned. "It has all kinds of pulsating settings…" he began to explain, as he moved over to turn on the bidet. It was oval shaped, had no lid and with a fixture in the middle where water would shoot straight up like a fountain. James turned it on, and adjusted the temperature by using the handles on either side. Then, he played with the middle knob which made the stream of water change to different water pressure.

"Now, the thing is...before ya sit down and straddle it…. ya gotta turn it on first to adjust the temperature and water flow…." He paused to make sure he had her full attention. "That middle knob there is sort of temperamental, so ya gotta turn it slowly," he added casually.

They made eye contact, and she held his gaze determinedly.

"It looks like you took sometime to get acquainted with this thing" she teased.

"I've seen 'em before," he replied smiling and without missing a beat. "Now, what do ya think?" He looked at her intently.

"Ok, maybe I will try it" she smiled playfully.

He smiled back. "And…. you'll let me know when ya do, right?"

"I'm going to be late for work" she replied, turning to face the mirror behind her. Then, she proceeded to fuss with her hair some more.

They locked eyes through the mirror. He walked over to stand behind her, very close to her body. It took all the strength in the world for her not to turn around. Her knees felt weak, and she worried that he would notice.

Instead, he noticed that she was wearing perfume. _Hmmm._ Her hair looked so soft and touchable…he was about to bury his face in her hair when she spoke again. It was as if some big ugly monster was suddenly shaking him, demanding that he be released from the spell he was under.

"Work…" she whispered, thanking her lucky stars that her voice was still intact, and that her vocal cords were still functioning properly...

"Okay" he said, as he walked out towards the door. "You'll love it!" he smirked willfully.

**Sometime during week three,** Juliet tried the bidet, and purposely left the door to the bathroom ajar. He walked by the door several times back and forth….each time making her think that he was about to push the door wide open in one single motion. Yet, he did not come inside. She could have sworn she could hear his breathing as he stood behind the door.

She closed her eyes, as the pulsing water came over her, and she covered her mouth to quiet the low moans of ecstasy. She thought about him watching her; almost hoping he would come in….

**A/N: Please review. Tell me if you think that James should come in now, or should he wait for a better moment?**


	4. Nothing Else Matters

**A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed. Koralina: Thanks for alerting me to the timeline typo in chapter 3. You saved the day!**

Nothing Else Matters

**Week four. **

Amy and Juliet were walking together towards the cafeteria. They normally had lunch together at least once a week.

"They're showing a movie tonight at the rec. room," Amy mentioned with some excitement.

Juliet raised her eyebrows, mildly interested.

"It's called _Love Story_, I think".

Juliet smiled graciously. She hated that movie. _Love is never having to say you're sorry? Really? _She never understood why that movie was so high on her mother's favorite movie list.

"I think James is working late tonight".

"Don't be silly….you can just sit with me and Horace".

"Well…I'm in the middle of a good book".

Amy shook her head slightly. "Hmmm…Jim has been taking some extra shifts lately… but still, it doesn't add up….I mean, for him to be gone all the time," she stated somewhat cautiously.

They arrived at the cafeteria which was bursting with customers. While they waited in line, Juliet confessed to having followed James the night before to what appeared to be an old warehouse, which was secluded from the rest of the Dharma compound. She had turned back home, thinking it would be ridiculous for her to venture further.

"Look" Amy nudged Juliet's arm as they sat together at one of the tables.

Juliet turned to meet Mike's eyes, staring at her from a distance, as he sat at another table with his friends.

She quickly turned her attention back to Amy. "I've done nothing…" Juliet shook her head.

Amy chuckled. "You're so lucky, Juliet" Amy smiled. "Now, you've got two guys to choose from," she smirked.

"Amy!" Juliet affectionately scolded her.

"Okay, okay…just trying to have a little fun around here." Amy looked around her. "People here are so boring sometimes" she lamented.

Juliet loved having a female friend; the only significant drawback was that she had to frequently hold herself in check, in order to avoid giving out compromising information about herself or the rest of her time traveling team.

"Did you actually hear a word I said?" Juliet said, rather impatiently. Sometimes, Amy really did behave like a school girl who needed frequent re-direction.

Amy sighed. "Here you are again, being so darn serious" she grinned. "Yeah, right… the warehouse" Amy said, taking sometime to think things through. "I guess… I can try to get a key from Horace, and then we can check it out" she added, casually.

* * *

That Saturday, Amy and Juliet went to the warehouse, key in hand. The warehouse windows were foggy and dusty, making it hard to see inside. Both women had been up since the crack of dawn.

When they unlocked the door, they were surprised to see a fancy drum set, a piano and a couple of guitars. There were also some chairs and a big couch.

"I've forgotten we still had these…it's been such a long time since we've had live music playing…..we used to do it all the time in the summer" Amy said, as she stepped into the middle of the room, her eyes surveying everything around her.

Juliet stepped over and opened the door to a small closet. Right then, they heard a rustling sound. Amy froze. Juliet got inside the closet and swiftly shut the door after her. Amy was still frozen in place when she spotted a gun pointing at her from the warehouse entrance.

Right then, Amy saw Jin peering from around the corner behind the gun barrel still pointing at her. James and Miles appeared shortly thereafter. The men put their weapons down when they saw that it was Amy.

"Horace sent me over to look for…..a flute," Amy lied, a bit flustered.

The three men looked at Amy with a mix of disbelief and amusement.

"There ain't no flutes here….what ya see is what ya get" James said.

"Except for that cuckoo clock" Miles offered.

They all looked at the simply carved wooden clock hanging on the wall.

"It can be programmed to make all kinds of sounds" Miles added. "I bet we could make it sound like a flute".

"Well, then…Maybe you have it, instead ….you and Mr. cuckoo seem to have a connection," James said.

Miles frowned.

Amy felt uncomfortable. She kept thinking of Juliet inside what seemed to be a very small closet. For some reason, she was not coming out of there. It seemed as though the longer she stayed talking to the guys, the greater the chance that she would end up giving Juliet's whereabouts away. Thus, she decided to excuse herself at the first opportunity.

Inside the closet, Juliet heard Amy say her good-byes to the guys. She tried to stay still in the tiny place. She disliked the fact that she was so close to the mop and broom. Moreover, it was really dusty in there. Last time she checked, she had tested allergic to dust.

As soon as Amy left, the three guys picked up their instruments. At first, they were mostly joking around, but then soon enough they were playing real music. Juliet was stunned. She knew that song….._Metallica? They were actually playing a Metallica song?_ Nothing else matters. The first part of the song had long notes played by a guitar. They started over many times. _So, this was a rehearsal._

So close no matter how far  
Couldn't be much more from the heart  
Forever trusting who we are  
And nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way  
Life is ours, we live it our way  
All these words I don't just say  
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you  
Every day for us something new  
Open mind for a different view  
And nothing else matters

She could recognize that voice anywhere. It was James'.

She remained motionless in the closet for what seemed at least an hour. She listened to them practice the song over and over again, until they finally decided to take a short break. It was so dusty inside the closet that she had sneezed quietly several times. One of those times, her sneezing made her elbow rock something in the shelves behind her. Again, it was Jin the first one to react. In a second, he was there, opening the closet door, gun drawn.

Juliet gasped: it was just so sudden and unexpected. James and Miles stared at her, speechless.

"Were you in there the whole time?" Jin asked with a mix of concern and astonishment.

"Y'all go…and leave us alone" James said to Miles and Jin in a neutral tone of voice.

"Yeah, sure….you lovebirds have a great time" said Miles in a singsong voice. "Maybe you're the ones who need to take that cuckoo clock home with you" he added with a smirk, as he walked out the door, and with Jin following closely behind.

"So….you're spying on us now? James asked once they were alone.

Juliet decided to ignore that. "So…this is where you'd been disappearing to, all this time…"

James walked back to sit back on a stool, guitar in hand. He started playing the notes to the song they had been playing a few minutes ago. He played the chords softly.

"How did you do it? I mean, how were you able to play without the notes?" she asked, genuinely curious.

He stopped playing. "We played by ear….luckily Jin had played it before. It's one of those first songs people learn to play when they first learn to play guitar".

"And Miles played it too?"

"NO, he's mostly there to annoy us" James quickly replied. He sighed. He thought it over. "Okay…he actually plays the drums," he conceded reluctantly.

"I always liked that song" she said softly.

"Wanna hear a story?" he asked; his smile reaching his eyes.

She nodded, sitting on the couch facing him.

"'Tis your run-of-the-mill boy meets girl story" he looked intently into her eyes. "Maybe not so run-of-the mill," he clarified as an afterthought.

"Okay…" she half smiled, careful not to show too much interest.

He resumed playing soft notes on his guitar. "Once, there was this guy who was a little rough around the edges, a cowboy who just couldn't keep his mouth shut. One day, he met this girl who was not like any other…she actually could give as good as she got," he paused, as he continued to play the guitar softly. "Soon enough, she was falling for him, even though she knew he was rather dangerous" he added, emphasizing the last word as he played a dramatic note on his guitar.

"Not your standard boy next door" she added, with a slight nod.

"Now, she knew that once she gave him the green light….she'll reach the point of no return. She knew that just one touch was enough to send her over the edge…. And then, the fine line between reason and insanity would be hard to discern".

Juliet's eyes widened, intrigued.

"Except, there was somethin' she didn't know…." he stated, playing softer notes on his guitar.

"What was that?" she asked, almost in a trance.

He stopped playing and smiled. "That he cared about her…. he would always have her back, no matter what…and in the end, that's all that matters".

**A/N: In case you're wondering: No, I have not forgotten my other two storylines. Just like the pieces of a puzzle, all three storylines fit together as the plot moves forward. Due to popular demand, I've decided to lengthen the courtship stage. This chapter in particular is a last minute addition. **

**So for now, it will just be Dharma times. I'm really enjoying writing this part of the story. I hope you enjoyed reading it .**

**Please review.**


	5. Meant To Be

**A/N: The idea for this Juliet centric chapter came about during a conversation with LornaCat about the movie Love Story. Thanks for your support, Lorna! **

* * *

Meant To Be

Suddenly, a loud buzzing sound hit their ears with incredible force. James jumped to his feet, tossing his guitar on the couch without a second thought.

Before she knew what was happening, Juliet found herself running from the warehouse towards the nearest Dharma building. James ushered as many people as possible inside the building; they were to stay put until further notice.

That was the last time she saw him until nearly three days later. She pestered the heck out of poor Jin in her quest for information. Unfortunately, he did not seem to know much, except that James and Miles had headed out into hostile territory along with a few others. Jin was instructed to stay behind and keep on guard.

Upon learning that they had lost all communication with the security team, as they were not answering their walkie talkies, Juliet attempted to convince Jin to endorse their own two person search party.

In response, Jin told her: "Sawyer wanted to make a tape for you"

She felt a lump in her throat.

"With Metallica song" Jin added.

Juliet looked away. _I can't think about that right now. _"I can do it, Jin, you know I can handle a gun," she stated firmly.

"You're not in security, Juliet. It is against protocol for you to go".

"If they're not back by tomorrow, I will go find them myself!"

**Week 5**

The security team came back the next day late at night. They brought young Ben Linus back safe and sound after his failed attempt to run away from home. They had not slept in days, as they had to remain on guard once they were on hostile territory.

"Must be my lucky day!" James announced when Juliet, clad in a short sleeve top and PJ pants, welcomed him home with a hug. He was particularly pleased to hear Juliet insisting that he sleep on the bed that night.

He took a nice long shower, and climbed into bed in a flash, wearing a white t-shirt and flannel shorts.

Juliet walked into the bedroom shortly thereafter, and started rumbling through the dresser, as though looking for something.

"That kid sure knows how to hide …We couldn't find him, and then he ran right into hostile territory…had to do some heavy negotiating. Richard was no where to be found for a good day and a half". He yawned. _This sure is a comfy pillow_…..

Juliet climbed in bed next to him, fixing the pillow so that she could sit upright.

"You did the right thing….in bringing him back….it must have been hard for you" she said softly.

He smiled mischievously. "So….this is it, isn't it? Our big night together?"

She bit her lip, trying her darnedest not to smile.

"Maybe you coulda waited for a time when I was….. less tired? He smiled blithely, although his voice was starting to sound groggy.

"James, really….you should try to get some sleep," she said, reaching out to turn off the lamp beside her. The room was now in semi-darkness.

He struggled to fight slumber. "Oh, I get it…. pretty clever…uh…this is what you meant about NOT sleeping together….Okay to sleeping together as in hitting the sack …. but NOT REALLY sleeping together," he rambled, grinning from ear to ear.

Juliet smiled, as he was asleep less than five second later. She snuggled comfortably under the covers and tried to fall asleep. She tossed and turned. All she could think of was that _he was there._ At one point, she got up and tried sleeping on the couch, but her mind was too worked up. This was an impossible situation. _Something had to change._ She briefly considered going back to live with Amy. The problem was that Amy was too obsessive compulsive: everything needed to be in its proper place at all times.

She went back to the bedroom. James was sleeping in the same position he had been in all night: on his back and in the same exact spot. She climbed back in bed. But instead of going to sleep, she fantasized about waking him. She imagined him kissing her softly on the lips. Then, gazing into her eyes, he would tell her how much he loved her. _No, scratch that. He wouldn't say that._ _This was not an old episode of the Y__oung and the Restless._

She closed her eyes, thinking that having them closed was definitely a step forward to dream land. She turned to her side, with her back to him. In his sleep, he stirred, turning his body in an attempt to find a comfortable position. She imagined him reaching for her. This time, he would pull her under his body in one swift motion. Before she even had a chance to realize what was happening, he would have her PJs off and her wrists pinned above her head. _Hmmm…that was more like it!_

She tossed and turned some more. She glanced at the alarm clock sitting on the nightstand on her side of the bed. 4:30 am. _Dammit!_ She had to be at work at 8:00 am. She turned to look at the clock a couple of more times and realized that the minutes were going by WAY too slowly.

Then, she had a wonderful, awful idea *. _Cookies._ Chocolate chip cookies to be exact. Maybe she could bake some? _It wouldn't take that long, would it?_ It might actually settle her down long enough to catch some Z's.

Before long, she was happily humming a tune in the kitchen while baking cookies. Until a long forgotten memory reared its ugly head: her mother eating cookies early one morning in front of the TV set, watching _Love Story_. Juliet tried talking to her unresponsive mother; whereas her sister Rachel walked past her towards the kitchen.

A couple of minutes later, 10 year old Rachel announced that it was time for breakfast**. **Juliet, who was two years younger, looked around her in dismay. The kitchen was a complete disaster zone. Further, there was a can of sardines sitting next to a plate brimming with chocolate chip cookies. The smell of sardines so early in the morning made Juliet feel sick.

"That's all there is….so take your pick" Rachel said matter–of- factly. "I would pick the cookies, if I were you" she chuckled, taking some joy from the look of disgust on her sister's face.

Juliet picked up the can of sardines and quickly shoved the offensive item inside the refrigerator. There…. now she could breathe.

The kitchen cabinets (just like the fridge) were painfully bare. In the last couple of weeks, the girls had gone through every food item in the house. Juliet couldn't remember the last time that her mother had gone to the grocery store, or moved off that couch for that matter. Still, her mother had somehow found the ingredients to bake that last batch of chocolate chip cookies. How she'd managed…. was a complete mystery.

"I'm not having cookies for breakfast!" Juliet was outraged.

"You're weird!" Rachel noted, while chewing a handful of cookies. "Any other kid would be in heaven now!"

Juliet decided they had to stop by the store after school, and get some cereal and milk. They would be home much later than normal, as they would have to walk eleven blocks to the store and back. She explained this to her mother, while going through her wallet. She took out a five dollar bill. That should be enough, she decided.

Rachel stood by the front door, backpack in hand. She rolled her eyes impatiently; they barely had enough time to make it to the bus stop. If they missed the bus, there was no way they could make it to school on time.

It was not until a few days later that Juliet's father returned from his so- called business trip. By then, her mother had made a miraculous recovery from her former catatonic condition. In fact, Juliet was quite amazed at how collected she looked one day, when both her parents decided to have a talk with them kids.

"Just because two people love each other doesn't always mean that they're supposed to be together" her mother remarked in a calm manner.

Juliet ran out the house at full speed, hopped on her bike and rode away as far as her legs would take her. That just did not make sense. _If two people loved each other, then, why couldn't they be together?_

"Maybe you just need to say you're sorry," Juliet told her dad later that day.

"I'm afraid, it's not that simple, Pumpkin".

"Well….then, maybe you said sorry too much?" Juliet wondered, remembering Ali Macgraw's words: _'love means never having to say you're sorry'_. It wasn't until many years later that Juliet realized that she had misunderstood the meaning of those words. Even so, it never quite made sense to her.

Nonetheless, she would never forget her father's last words on the subject. "It was just _not meant to be_". He shrugged his shoulders and looked into the distance.

A year later, Juliet decided she wanted to live with her dad and his new wife. After an argument with her mother, she gathered her things in a small suitcase, and took the bus to her father's house. She thought he would like the surprise. Instead, she found him flustered and visibly annoyed.

"I don't know about that, Pumpkin" her dad said, running his hand through his hair, and scrunching his forehead. He sighed. He looked up, as if silently asking for guidance from the heavens.

"Wait here". He walked into another room, shoulders drooping, head hanging low.

Juliet's heart sank when she heard them arguing. Even though they were clearly attempting to muffle their voices, she could still hear them clear as a bell. She buried her face in her hands, tears streaming down her face.

* * *

**A/N:** * this phrase was adapted from How The Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss.

Please review.


	6. Screw Our Agreement

Screw Our Agreement

Eventually, Juliet dozed off and slept with her head resting on the kitchen table for a little over an hour, before she had to leave for work. She woke up to the sight of cookie crumbs, which obnoxiously pointed out that she must have had at least half a dozen cookies. After stretching like a cat, she peeked into the bedroom. James was sleeping soundly.

Then, she went into the bathroom and checked herself in the mirror. In all, she was surprised that she did not feel worse. _Not too bad for a sleepless night._ It was at this point that she remembered about the Christmas party, which was held every year about two weeks before Christmas day. She might have to skip it, she decided.

Later that day, Juliet and Amy were having lunch together. Amy would not hear a word of it. "You can't miss it" she insisted. "There will be dancing!"

Juliet sighed.

When she got home that evening, she found James in the kitchen, fixing himself a sandwich. He was wearing a striped short sleeve dress shirt and a pair of white bell bottom pants. He greeted her with a nod and a smile.

"Hi," she greeted him back, walking into the kitchen. She checked him out from head to toe. He had shaved and his hair was neatly combed back.

"Christmas party" he informed her, when he realized that she was evaluating his attire. "Amy came by earlier to remind me."

"Aha" She smiled knowingly. She liked the scent of his aftershave.

"Wanna be my date tonight?" He whispered, taking one step towards her.

She gazed into his eyes. "Ok" she murmured softly. Time seemed to have stood still for who knows how long. The way her was looking at her….she was sure he was about to kiss her, when suddenly he turned away.

"Best get ready, then….we've got only half an hour."

She looked away for a fraction of a second to mask her disappointment. When she turned back to look at him, she had turned on her usual deadpan look. It was then that she realized that she had been clutching the counter behind her until her fingers hurt.

Her next thoughts were about the party and what she would wear. It was not supposed to be an ultra fancy party. She pulled out of her closet a red strapless dress that hung just below the knees. The fabric was soft and free flowing. She complimented her dress with a white pearl necklace and matching pair of earrings.

He finished his sandwich while she dressed._ Boy, she looks hot, _he thought, nodding his head slightly in appreciation when she came out into the living room. "Lady in Red," he said quietly.

She was wearing 3 inch platform heels. _Hmmm_…._Sexy legs. _He was glad she had not gone for a higher pair of heels_. _

"As luck would have it, I do love that song!" She replied happily.

They arrived together at the party, half an hour later. Amy motioned for them to come and sit with her and Horace. Jin was sitting with them too, along with two other couples. James scanned around, wondering about Miles. The fact that he wasn't around was cause for concern. _He must be up to something,_ James thought.

James walked over to Miles, who was boyishly playing DJ with the Bozak mixer; the gleam in his eyes, matching the lights on the sound board.

"Would ya quit foolin' around and find somethin'…." James started, but stopped talking when he saw a pretty blonde girl approaching him.

Back at their table, Amy discreetly nudged Juliet's arm. "It's payback time," she said pursing her lips, her whole body pointing at James and the blonde girl.

"What?" Juliet looked momentarily confused as she followed Amy's gaze.

"Chloe…look who's she going after" Amy paused to let the information sink in. "She likes Mike….so she figures she'd get back at you."

Juliet nodded slightly. _Oh, that explains it!_ She had noticed Chloe giving her dirty looks lately. "What's this, high school?" Juliet wondered out loud.

Amy gave Juliet a What-are-you-gonna-do-now look.

Juliet noticed Chloe standing a little to close to James. Further, he appeared to be somewhat amused at something the woman had said.

Her legs carried her over to where they were standing, almost as if they had a will of their own. James turned his attention to her as soon as he saw her approaching. Chloe appeared irritated by the interruption.

"I believe you owe me the first dance," Juliet said firmly, her eyes glued on James. Although she glimpsed at Chloe only briefly, her body language screamed: _don't mess with me._

James grinned. "I'm afraid it's true," he confirmed, directing his words at Chloe; while still focusing on Juliet. "First date, first dance" he added in a whisper, meant exclusively for Juliet's ears.

Chloe huffed and puffed as she marched off. Neither James nor Juliet noticed.

Oh my darling,

Knock three times on the ceiling if you want me  
Twice on the pipe if the answer is no.

James rolled his eyes. The tune was catchy, but sort of corny. He was thankful when it was over 30 seconds later.

James made eye contact with Miles. _Play something good._

Then, To Love Somebody started playing_._ James glared at Miles. _ A Bee Gee song? _ Miles chuckled as he continued to play with the sound mixer.

James and Juliet looked at each other; Their eyes had a private conversation:

_Can't dance to that song!_ James thought.

_Come on, It will be okay…..You'll survive….it's just a song, _Juliet reassured him.

Juliet took his hand and they walked together to the middle of the dance floor, which was suddenly filled with other couples.

_This is not so bad after all_, James thought almost as soon as they started dancing; for such a slow moving song allowed him that extra closeness to her body, which he had been longing for.

Then, about midway through the song, Miles mixed another song which brought on smiles of recognition in both James and Juliet:

Sweet home Alabama  
Where the skies are so blue  
Sweet Home Alabama  
Lord, I'm coming home to you

This song was not as slow moving as the previous one. In fact, it was sort of electrifying. They were actually having fun, stepping to the beat of the tune. James showed off his country swing moves, as Miles cranked up the music louder.

The mood changed again when yet another slow moving song started playing: Peaceful Easy Feeling.

And I wanna sleep with you

In the desert tonight

With a billion stars all around

Cause I got a peaceful easy feeling

And I know you won't let me down

Cause I'm already standing on the ground.

"Hmmm…. "Were ya trying to turn me on or something?" he gave her a very playful look. "I will not only OWE you the first dance…..but the second or third, if you want…" He pulled her closer to his body, gently running his hand down her back and across her hips.

She was vaguely aware of the other couples moving around them and of the song playing in the background.

She lifted her eyes to meet his. Their faces were so close….she lightly brushed her lips with his. He surprised her with a flame hot response: forcing her mouth open and sliding his tongue so deeply that she felt a tingling sensation reach all the way down to her toes. She kissed him hard, teasing him a little with her tongue, but then she slowly pulled away.

He saw the fire in her eyes. That's when he knew that their agreement would soon come to an end.

From his DJ position, Miles observed James and Juliet with curiosity. He saw them whisper to each other, prior to her suddenly leaving the party. He wondered whether something was wrong. Interestingly, James appeared to be smiling as he watched her walk away.

Miles walked over to where James was still standing. They looked at the couples dancing while they talked.

"Looking for that glass slipper?" Miles chuckled.

James rolled his eyes. Yet, in a peculiar sort of way, he found himself amused by Miles' remark. It was that part of him that was already floating on cloud nine.

"You better hurry, lest the magic spell breaks….." Miles looked at his watch, pretending to be giving this matter serious consideration. "At the 4th stroke of midnight, I believe."

What followed happened in the blink of an eye. First, they saw everything around them turned into darkness; closely followed by a series of collective gasps.

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AN: ** Reviews encourage me to write faster. Even one word reviews can do the trick **


	7. Screw Our Agreement Part 2

_AN: Thanks to all who reviewed!_

* * *

Screw Our Agreement Part 2

The black out lasted about ten seconds, and then, the lights mysteriously flickered back on just as quickly as they were out to begin with.

Once they got the crowd to settle down, James, Horace and Radinsky had a private meeting behind close doors. The other members of the security team, stayed behind asking questions, and making sure that everyone at the party was accounted for.

Radinsky paced the room, his mood clearly unsettled. "We'll have to bump up security….have someone on guard at all times."

A few minutes later, Jin came in holding the list of names they had been waiting for. He tried to hand it to Horace, but Radinsky swapped right out of his hands. James and Horace exchanged looks. James wondered when Horace was going to put that loudmouth son of a bitch in his place. He guessed probably never, so he would have to take care of Radinsky himself at some point. Unfortunately, that would need to wait, as this was definitely not the right time.

Radinsky dismissed Jin and told him to wait outside the door. Next, he took some time to study the list. James sighed, sick of Radinsky's dramatic raising of eye brows, and perfectly timed hmmm's.

"So, where is Juliet?"Radinsky lifted his eyes off the paper; unmistakable suspicion shinning in those dark eyes.

James was not surprised to see that out of all the people on that list, Juliet would be the one he would ask about first.

"She went home, had a headache," James said casually. It was not the right time to act defensive or to over-explain. _Don't ever give them a reason to be suspicious…_

"Uhuh" Radinsky nodded his head way too many times while squinting his eyes just so.

At this point, Horace decided to take the list from Radinsky.

"It could just be a prank…..Ben and that friend of his….what's his name?" Horace wondered.

"I'll go pay Roger a visit" James volunteered. He barely waited for Horace to nod his approval before he was half-way out the door.

"I'll take Jin with me" James announced, standing by the door a few extra seconds while making steady eye contact with both men. In this way, he was giving the appearance of being a man with a clear mission; a man that did not have anything to hide. He had made the appropriate amount of eye contact at key moments (not too little, not too much), walked at a regular pace, and showed no hesitation in any of his actions.

* * *

Jin and James trekked their way to Roger's house. Roger has no problem letting them in once they got there. They immediately realized that he was as drunk as a skunk. A quick overview of the place revealed that there were several empty bottles of whiskey in the kitchen, and another half a bottle sitting squarely in the middle of the coffee table.

Without asking permission, they peeked into Ben's bedroom to verify that he was still sleeping. James stood quietly at the door a little longer than Jin, looking for a sign that the boy was indeed awake. _We will never really know._

They left the house, after deciding that it was probably useless to attempt to interrogate Roger. Theoretically, it was possible that Roger himself could have turned off the power generators. Nonetheless, they concluded that he was probably too wasted to have been able to get away from the scene so quickly, and somehow make it all the way back to his house in time for their visit.

They walked together in silence for a while.

"Where did Juliet go?" Jin asked.

"She went back home, she wasn't feeling well" James said simply.

Jin grinned. He recalled how lovey dovey they had looked at the party. "So, she's waiting for you?"

"I guess…you could say that," James admitted sheepishly.

"I guess it's my turn to give advice" Jin smiled, mischievously.

James looked at him, intrigued.

"You know….love advice, like you gave me…." Jin clarified, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

They stopped walking. _This is getting interesting, _James thought. Jin was the quiet type that didn't talk much. Jin was the type that hated being in the spotlight, and would often prefer for Miles to steal the show so that he could later bask in the aftermath of Miles' schemes.

James gave him his full attention.

"What do women want to hear?"

That's a good one, buddy" James smiled, as he recalled that time when he had attempted to teach Jin some English back in the day.

Jin gave him a look that clearly demanded an answer.

"Okay, fine…I'll say it," James took a deep breath. "It was something like: "I'm Sorry…..You were right…..and those pants don't make you look fat."

They shared a laugh. Back then, they had fixed the hippie van and enjoyed a joy ride with Charlie, Hugo and Vincent. _Yeah,_ _Vincent…one day we will find him,_ James thought.

"There….now you got it!" Jin smiled, clearly pleased with himself. "That's all you'll ever need to say, right? So now, go to her."

James smiled, appreciating the sentiment, yet knowing that nothing in life was ever that simple.

"I can't, Jin….gotta go and report our findings to Horace," he said, thinking how much he would rather take him up on his offer.

* * *

James got home about two hours after the black out ordeal was over.

It was about a couple minutes before midnight. He thought about Miles' comments earlier about the spell breaking at the stroke of midnight, and wondered what Miles would say if he actually knew how close he had really been.

He took off his shoes and left them by door, as he normally did every day after work. Then, he went to the kitchen for some water.

He wondered whether she was still awake. _Maybe I should just let her sleep._

Another part of him (the biggest one) argued back: _Maybe she's not asleep! Why don't you just go in and find out?_

He walked into the bathroom to clean up a bit, and noticed that the door to the bedroom was wide open. He stepped inside the bedroom. The curtains were drawn which made the room quite dark. Still, there was enough light for him to see her lying on the bed, under the covers.

"Juliet" he said softly, as he walked over to stand by the dresser on the right side of the room.

She opened her eyes when he called her name. She had been drifting in and out of sleep, as her mind had refused to settle into peaceful sleep. Rather, all her senses had been actively engaged, thinking about all the events that had taken place earlier that night.

It took him a little while for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Her eyes were the first thing he saw.

She asked him what happened.

"Someone turned off the power generator…." He said quietly. "Then, we were just sittin' around, bouncing off ideas."

"I was already at home when it happened. Power came back on almost right away…"

"Someone will be on guard at all times, until we figure out who's behind this," he reassured her.

Then, there was silence. They locked eyes for the longest time; neither one wanting to be the one to first look away. The connection they had made earlier in the evening was still intact.

She reached out her hand to him as he stood gazing at her by the bed. He took his shirt off, took her hand, and then lay on his side next to her.

The sheet that had been covering her body was pulled aside to reveal that she was only wearing her panties.

She reached up to kiss him; he kissed her back for a few long seconds. Then, he started kissing her neck, his tongue traveling down her body, and showering her with light kisses. He lingered around the area surrounding her belly button. In time, his lips slowly traveled south, taking their own sweet time. He stopped at the line just above the top of her panties.

She thought he would never get _there._

_Just do it! _ Her eyes suddenly revealed with unrelenting urgency, yet her lips refused to part.

_Not yet! I want you to wonder, to beg for more._

He took off her panties in one swift motion and tossed them aside. She gasped. Right after spending a few long seconds with his tongue gently toying around that invisible line that her panties had made, he moved down all the way down…..to her feet.

He was glad that the bed didn't have a footboard, as he could have easier access to her feet; he picked them up, and started caressing them with his lips and finger tips. That's when he discovered that her arousal increased when put her toes in his mouth, kissing them one by one.

"James!" _Just do it!_

His eyes looked up to meet hers.

"More?"

There was a glint of immeasurable mischief in his eyes as he waited for her answer.

He had wanted her to get to that point where all rational thought escapes the heart, mind and soul. _Say you want me….say you stayed because you wanted me…_

"YES! I want you," she whispered, breathing heavily.

Those were the words he had been waiting to hear.

He never went back to sleep on the couch after that.

AN: **I am currently working on an M- Rated version of this chapter. Rather than change the rating on this fic, I will upload it as a separate one shot story. I should have it ready in two or three days. Check back again, and navigate to my profile page to find it, or just follow me by clicking on the follow author box below (preferred option). **


	8. Curiouser, Curiouser

**AN: I'm still working on my M Rated fic. Just need to make sure it's topnotch before I post it. **

**Curiouser, Curiouser**

**2015**

**At 8:00 am sharp**, the spectators rose and the judge stepped into the small courtroom.

James stood next to his lawyer, a man in his sixties, who was costing him a fortune. He could feel her eyes on him as soon as the judge requested that the two lawyers approach the bench. He made minimal eye contact with _her _for was not in the mood for confrontations. His cell phone vibrated in his pocket unexpectedly; a quick peek revealed the number calling as having an Alabama area code. The call transferred to voice mail. He wasn't particularly concerned, as he still did not have an answer; it all depended on the outcome of this hearing.

While the lawyers and Judge continued to have a private discussion, the spectators were allowed to take a seat. Resting his elbows on the armrests of his chair, James rubbed his temples, grateful for the chance to relax some, after a night of no sleep. It took only a minute for him to start getting drowsy, yet he forced himself to listen when the lawyers started speaking loud enough for the entire audience to hear.

"Your honor, my client is willing to make New York his state of residence, as soon as regular visitation with the minor child is formally established."

"Your honor, my client is merely concerned that the petitioner has not had much contact with said minor child…and as the primary caregiver, she is requesting sole custody."

_**1975**_

Six months had gone by since the day of the black out.

Ben was sitting on one of the swings, his head hanging low. Ben looked up when he saw Juliet approach him. He attempted a smile, adjusting his heavy, wide-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, when he saw Juliet approach him; the smile, however, did not reach his eyes as they carried an even heavier burden, a burden that no child should carry.

Over the past few months, Juliet had befriended Ben, for she believed that some positive attention would offset his tendency to get in trouble. "He's just an innocent child" she would say to James whenever they discussed him. "Innocent my ass!" he would reply, certain that nothing good could ever come from Ben, regardless of his size.

A few days after the black out, Juliet had a talk with Ben, who admitted playing with the power generator. He had figured out pretty quick how to pick the multiple dial lock (similar to those used in briefcases) that had held shut the door to the utility room. After the black out, they had upgraded the locking system to a single dial padlock (as those used in lockers). The second lock was a little harder to pry open, but Ben was pretty confident it was just a matter of time. Thus, Juliet had made a deal with him: he would behave himself by refraining from playing any more pranks, and in turn, she would keep his secret.

Ben looked at Juliet with some sadness. "You're leaving? But, are you coming back?"

Juliet sighed and looked away. She just couldn't tell him that she was not coming back. This was yet another chance to get away from the island forever, and this time she was going to take it. She looked at her watch. It was getting late, only an hour before the sub would head for Tahiti, for their eight week long managerial skills seminar.

"Yes, I'll be back….in eight weeks" Juliet answered. "Be good," she admonished him kindly, as she walked away with a spring in her step.

Juliet found James in the bedroom, stuffing items in his suitcase. He had chosen to wait until the last minute to start packing, refusing to let Juliet help him pack when she offered a couple of days ago.

She put her arms around him, as he stood by the bed with his back to her. They were finally leaving the island after all this time. For him, it had only been a little over a year; where as for her it was closer to four.

He turned around, his eyes immediately drawn to every curve of her body showcased by her pretty sundress.

"Hmm…maybe we have time for you try on your new bathing suit" he whispered, nibbling her ear.

She tilted her head slightly in flirty sort of way. She could hardly contain her excitement. This trip was going to be out of this world.

The first thing they did when they arrived in Tahiti was to stroll around the open market closest to their lodge. They held hands the whole time, weaving in and out amongst the crowd that continuously streamed by in every direction. At last, they sat down for a snack and some lemonade at an outdoor café. They shared a dessert called poe, which consisted mainly of pureed bananas, and were surprised to realize that it was absolutely delicious.

There were some children playing around the area, chasing each other. They appeared to be under ten years of age. The youngest little boy, who was about five years old, approached Juliet and gave her a flower while muttering something in French.

"His name is John….and he says I look like Alice…._Alice in Wonderland_" she explained, beaming. "They're playing a game….finding the white rabbit."

Next thing he knew, Juliet was laughing with John and the other three children. He watched her close her eyes while John hid, and then later pretend she couldn't find him.

She was about to walk up to John's hiding place, when she realized that James was standing next to her.

"Hate to rain on your parade, but let me remind ya that we're strangers in a strange land. Blondie, you can't just go around stalking little children….." he said, half-serious, half-joking. "Where are the parents, by the way?"

Her smile disappeared when he mentioned the word parents. "Um…I don't know."

"Ok, Miss Alice….at least your tip-top French will come in handy when we have to explain ourselves to the authorities," he sighed with exaggerated relief.

"Oh, don't you worry…no need to feel left out… they'll speak English too."

Shortly after that, they said goodbye to the children and headed to their place, which was near the ocean. It had one bedroom, a kitchenette and a good sized living room.

Juliet wondered aloud if they would see John again.

"I bet we'll find him tomorrow, having tea with the Mad Hatter," he said stretching out length wise on the couch, taking in the remarkable ocean view visible through the sliding glass door that lead to a small balcony.

She smiled, while loading some of the fruit they bought at the market into their new refrigerator. Her smile disappeared a few seconds later. "The first time I saw that movie at a drive-in…. it made me cry" she remarked.

He gave her his full attention.

" I was only six ...and I really thought that Alice would never make it back home!" Juliet took a bite out of a shiny read apple. She took her time before she spoke again. "We cannot go back _there_…I really can't!" She stated decisively, tossing the apple aside.

"I know…..staying here might seem like a good idea now…..but, how about years from now?" he paused. "Truth to be told, we have a wonderland of our very own…and that's where we'll find our way out," he concluded firmly.

As soon as he witnessed Juliet's elation when leaving the island, he knew it was going to be hard to convince her to change her mind.

She stared at him for a long time.

"In the end… you know", he began carefully, "Alice DOES make it back home."

"Life is not a fairy tale, James", she turned about swiftly, and headed for the bedroom.

James stayed in the living room for at least half an hour, thinking about the realm of possibilities What if she did not change her mind? He almost fell asleep, but then he opened his eyes when he felt her eyes on him as he lay on the couch.

She sat by him and brushed his lips with hers. She was wearing a dazzling silk nightie that hung just below her waist. _Hmmm_…. Her body was_ gorgeous. _He sat up, and pulled her onto his lap, burying his face in her neck; he loved it when her hair looked perfectly straight. Further, he realized that she had just showered, and that he loved the scent of the sweet candy-like lotion she had lavishly applied all over her skin. _Hmmm…Vanilla?_

She started kissing him passionately while pushing him back down on the couch.

"Don't move" she commanded.

His eyes lit up when he saw her take off his belt and toss it aside. He gave her one of his finest dimpled smiles.

He watched her take off the rest of his clothes (he helped her just a little bit). Then, she straddled him, running her hands up and down his body.

He remained still, watching her in fascination. _This was waaaay better than watching her playing mommy to mini Ben or playing hide and seek with Tahitian kids._

What followed, he would later remember as one of the greatest turning points in his life. Right after a long lovemaking session, Juliet entered a panicked state of mind, as she frantically looked for something in her luggage; _that something just had to be there!_

"I….I forgot my pills…I, I must have left them on the kitchen counter at home…..thought I had put them in my purse" she swallowed hard, her heart beating fast, eyes watery.

He gave her a blank look.

"My birth control pills!" she nearly shouted, her eyes blazing fire.

His jaw dropped, but not too much. After all, what were the odds that she would wind up pregnant after just one time? That only happened in the movies. Oh, and on comedy shows like _Friends_. Rachel had wound up pregnant with Ross' child after one night of wild passion. He smiled, recalling the freaked out expression on Ross' face when he found out about the pregnancy. Rachel pointed out that condoms were only 97% effective. Ross' eyes popped out of their sockets: "They should put THAT on the box!" he had shouted.

That's when he realized that Juliet was glaring at him, and that he was still smiling. He decided against bringing up the Friends episode. This was definitely not the right time.

AN:**What do you think? Thumbs up or thumbs down? Let me know if you're still out there… (and even if you're not). **

**Thanks for reading. **


	9. Whatever Happens

Whatever Happens

_For the fifth time in the last half hour, Juliet looked at the clock that hung on her dining room wall. Dinner was getting cold. He said he would be home an hour and a half ago. He was not answering his cell phone. _

_She had managed to finally put David down for a nap an hour earlier. Knowing his erratic sleep cycle, he was bound to wake up any minute now. After spending all day with the baby, she was craving some adult time._

_Jack finally arrived home forty five minutes later. After apologizing for being late, he ate dinner on the run and took a quick shower as he had to go back to the hospital. Needless to say, they did not have time for any type of stimulating adult conversation. _

_Juliet was annoyed that he had not bothered to tell her that he had taken an extra shift; yet she bit her lip, and said nothing. Never mind that it was her birthday and Jack had not mentioned it all day. By the time Jack left later that evening, there was no doubt in her mind that the only surprise she would be getting that day was that he had indeed forgotten her birthday._

* * *

1975

After her initial reaction of shock had worn off, she adjusted fairly quickly to the idea of a possible pregnancy. She reasoned that since time of conception was off island, there shouldn't be any significant complications. As to them being in the wrong century, well, that was something she was willing to overlook for now. No sense fretting over something she had no control over.

During the first three days, she did try to make an appointment with an obstetrician, family doctor or whoever in order to obtain a prescription for birth control pills. As it turned out, there were no appointments available until the following week. She knew that at three days, she was already at the cutoff point. Even if she managed to obtain a prescription, a missed dose had to be taken within two days in order for it to work.

As for ruling out pregnancy, they would have to wait for that as well, since no obstetrician would even see her until her menstrual cycle was off for at least a week. Not only that, but most likely they would have to wait at least another ten days after that for the lab results to become readily available.

For the next couple of weeks, she decided to make the most of their time in Tahiti, by not allowing worry to grow roots in her mind. From a practical perspective, that's what made the most sense, and Juliet had always been a practical person first and foremost.

On their very first weekend in Tahiti, they took a three hour boat ride to a pearl farm, where only a small number of tourists venture. What impressed them most the magnificent shades of blue of the lagoons that string along most of the smaller islands surrounding Tahiti. The pearl farm was in Taha'a, which was also known as the Vanilla Island, among other names.

Once they arrived at the farm, where they spent a considerable amount of time learning from the owners all the intricacies of the harvesting of black pearls. Afterwards, they were led to a small display of custom jewelry. The sales lady spoke to the whole group of people present of the types of the imperfections and unique details found in each piece. Interestingly, it was not the magnificent black pearls that caught Juliet' s interest. Her eyes lingered on a gray pearl necklace with slight tones of purple.

He waited until they were seated at a nice restaurant back on the main island, to bring out a long rectangular velvet box. She saw it sitting on her place-mat when she came back to her seat after using the restroom. She gave James a What-is-this look.

He smiled casually and wished her a happy birthday.

Juliet was too stunned to speak or move for that matter.

"So, you're not going to open it?" he asked, grinning expectantly.

She opened the box, to find the exact same necklace that she had fallen in love with at the pearl farm. _Oh, James, you shouldn't have! _She thought, knowing that it must have cost a fortune.

He was pleased to see she was genuinely surprised. He had wanted nothing more than to see her happy.

"Oh, it's so gorgeous!" She reached across the table for his hand, smiling graciously. "Thank you, James." This was definitely the best birthday surprise she'd ever had.

* * *

_Juliet walked to the nurse's station at the hospital, pushing a stroller. Everyone greeted her warmly, enthralled by little David. _

_Juliet learned from one of the nurses that Jack deliberately chose to not take the time off he was offered right after David's birth. She tried her best to hide her annoyance, for she, on the other hand, had taken advantage of every bit of her maternity leave, plus a couple of extra weeks that she had been offered._

_She sighed. Who was this stranger with whom she shared a child and a home? In the short eight weeks since David was born, she had already experienced, for all practical purposes, the feeling of being a single parent. Jack was hardly ever home, and even when he was home it was as though he was still at work. That is, whenever he was not sleeping, his mind was still at work. _

_One day, she was home interviewing a possible nanny for David, in anticipation of the end of her maternity leave. Jack came home in the middle of the interview, saying that he was on a short break and needed to get back to the hospital again in less than an hour._

_Juliet had to remind him about her nanny search, since initially, Jack acted as if surprised to see the young lady that was applying for the nanny position. Suddenly, a smile of recognition flashed his face as he remembered. "Of course" he said. _

* * *

_1975_

Although she felt tired most of the time, and took little catnaps throughout the day, she craved making love at least once a day. It was a need; this need was as much a physical need as an emotional one. She found that if they made love in the mornings (which coincidentally was the time of day when she felt the most rested) right before attending their seven hour long seminar, their emotional connection would last throughout the entire day. She felt so intimately connected to him, as though they were one and the same.

She would often find herself drowning in a pool of tingling sensations throughout her entire body, as her eyes followed him doing just about anything such as reading or talking to someone else at the seminar. Sometimes, just their eyes meeting for little longer than a few seconds was all that was necessary to bring on electrically charged images of their love making sessions. She had never experienced anything like this before with anyone else, as he was the only man that she had ever bared her soul to, the only one allowed access to her vulnerabilities.

The emotional experience was just as powerful for him. His desire for her grew with each passing day to reach feverish proportions; except that now it was coupled with a level of intimacy that he'd never experienced before. She was the only one who knew who he really was; the only one who knew every nook and cranny of his body and soul. He was madly in love with her; this is something he had known for sometime now. He had been in love before, he supposed. But never like this. Never before did meeting a woman's needs become more important than his own. Further, he knew he was in trouble when songs with lyrics along the lines of 'can't live without you, baby' no longer seemed trite and overdone, but rather, appeared to describe him personally.

As the days went by, the possibility of losing her became more real. He studied her every mood, looking for signs. Even though Juliet believed everything would be fine, he often found himself thinking that they could never be truly certain. One thing was for sure, as time went by, he could no longer deny the very real possibility that she was indeed pregnant. It was not the idea of impending fatherhood that he was apprehensive about; the only thought that really consumed him was the possibility of losing her.

He would never tell her any of this, of course (that was the only thing he kept from her). Instead, he devoted a great deal of energy in thinking of ways of making her happy.

Thus, they went on yet another boat ride on a beautiful sunny day. This time, they stayed closer to the main island, on a slow moving sailboat, mostly used for leisure sightseeing. Juliet watched the sails catching the wind, deep in thought. She had been late for about a week now. Even though she did not have any of the usual symptoms except for tiredness, she was pretty certain at this point.

Of the three couples on the boat, only one had an adorable older baby who caught Juliet's attention. Fascinated, she watched the well choreographed dance of mother and baby during feeding time, which was coupled by short playtime breaks. The thing that she found most captivating was how the baby's facial expressions, rich and varied, would perfectly mimic its mother's. Funny how she never noticed this tidbit about babies before.

James, who was sitting next to her, knew what she was thinking as soon as she laid eyes on the infant.

"Juliet" he said softly, tucking behind her ear, a few strands of flyaway hair gently blowing in the wind. "I need to tell ya somethin'.'"

She looked at him expectantly, sensing that whatever he had to say was really, really important.

He looked away for a second and cleared his throat. "Whatever happens, I'm with you," he remarked, looking deeply into her eyes.

She felt a lump in her throat along with the threat of a few tears. He had shown her in so many ways how much he cared, but now that he had actually voiced those feelings, she was simply overcome by emotion.

"I love you, Juliet." There, he had said it! The words had rolled off his tongue unplanned, effortlessly.

"I love you too," she said almost at the same time as him, and now unmistakable tears were streaming down her face.

He cupped her face, tenderly. "Hey, this ain't the reaction I was shooting for," he whispered, gently wiping away her tears.

She smiled through her tears of joy.

He kissed her with just the right mix of passion and tenderness. She clung to him, caressing the back of his head, burying her fingers in his hair. Then, she rested her head on his shoulder. That's when they realized that the other couples sitting directly across from them, had been watching them, actively cheering their approval. Instead of feeling self-conscious, Juliet smiled back, feeling insanely happy.

**A/N:** Please review. Thanks for reading.


	10. What Are You Celebrating

What Are You Celebrating?

She walked out of the doctor's office in a daze. Next thing she knew, she was standing by the receptionist's desk, being asked to pay for the services rendered. She pulled all the money she had in her wallet, and set it in front of a stocky woman staring at her impatiently behind a pair of thick reading glasses. After taking some of the money, the woman studied Juliet curiously.

"You want to get rid of it?" the woman spoke in broken English, shoving the rest of the money back to her.

Juliet made a feeble attempt to speak, but found herself at a loss of words. Thus, she busied herself by hastily putting her money away.

The receptionist nodded her head knowingly. Then, she reached over to hand Juliet a business card. "Call anytime to make appointment."

As if propelled by a will of its own, Juliet's hand reached out to take the card, only to let go of it two seconds later. Both Juliet and the woman watched the card fall to the ground.

The receptionist started to say something, but Juliet was already out the door.

* * *

He was sitting on the couch, watching a black and white TV show when Juliet arrived at their place an hour or so later.

Immediately, she went to the fridge and pulled out a tub of vanilla ice cream out of the freezer, and a banana from the fruit basket which she cuts into slices on a plate.

She felt his presence directly across from her on the other size of the kitchen counter. She looked up to meet his eyes briefly, and then proceeded to put the bananas on a bowl, after adding two scoops of ice cream.

James wondered whether she was mad at him for some reason. He had wanted to go with her to this appointment, but she was the one who had insisted that he attend the seminar instead.

"Your ice cream's melting" he observed, after a very long silence, as she continued to mash the bananas into her ice cream with unprecedented zeal.

He frowned at her bowl of mush, concerned. _Is she going to tell me, or will I have to ask? _

Juliet ate a spoonful of her ice cream absent-mindedly. In her practice, she had seen many women struggle with mixed feelings (even in cases of planned pregnancies) while their bodies adjusted to such a life changing event. Knowing this did little to lessen her guilt.

* * *

2015

His lawyer sat next to him in order to have a private mini-conference.

He wanted to discuss James' finances, which were relevant for custody and child support purposes. James reluctantly takes out his income tax forms, knowing how much the numbers truly suck. This past year had been tough with him working temporary jobs in construction.

The worst part was that people would just assume he just sat around all day, when in fact, he was effectively working on a book. That's when he remembered Miles' advice for the hearing, which included not mentioning his adventures as a writer.

"I'm actually self-employed" James said taking some papers out of his briefcase. "I work with a friend of mine on a number of businesses."

"What kind of businesses?" the lawyer looked at him, skeptically.

Miles, who was convinced that it was just a matter of time before they would strike it rich, Billy Gates style, had put into practice various business ideas which had mixed results. One of miles' inventions had been the use of a mix of household products in order to make a cleaner that would defog automobile headlights. The problem was that it did not always work, and Miles actually had no idea why it would work on certain headlights and not others. Furthermore, a few customers had complained that the treatment was too costly for what it was worth, for the treatment had only lasted only a couple of days. But then again, there was also a happy customer who had enjoyed clear headlights for over three months.

James had actually done some of the work himself and thus, supported most of Miles' inventions.

* * *

1975

"How did it go….at the doctor's?" James finally asked. "When do we start putting up stork signs on our front lawn?"

She couldn't help but smile, still playing with her ice cream. "I'm afraid I've got a little bit of bad news for ya" she sighed, imitating his accent, by putting heavy emphasis on thelast word.

_Twins!_ He thought, mortified._ Triplets? _In dismay, he watched her eat several spoonfuls of melted ice cream in a row.

"Well….I don't think that disposable diapers have been invented yet"

_What? _

"After my appointment, I went to the store to look around, and all I could find were cloth diapers" she explained matter of factly.

_She's getting really good at this!_

"Seriously? Are you trying to upstage me here, Sweetheart? I had an early April fools joke prepared and all."

She nearly chuckled.

"Tomorrow is April Fools, and I double checked." He grinned.

"I double checked too. I went to _two_ different stores." She grinned back.

"No April fools, huh?" he questioned, half hoping she had indeed upstaged him in every possible way.

She shook her head. _Nope, this is no joke, this is serious._

_So this is real._ He certainly needed sometime to digest this. _No disposable diapers? Heck, just when he thought things couldn't get worse. It was bad enough living with no internet. And now… this? _

* * *

2015

"It'll only take a second" James told his lawyer, who rolled his eyes impatiently when he realized that his client had taken out his cell phone.

Indeed, in no time at all, James logged into his e-mail account and with a couple of clicks, sent a document to his thirteen year old daughter. The document in question was a copy of the book he had been working on for the last two and a half years along with an attached note of copyright transfer signed by him.

Ever since Clementine found out that he was writing a book, she had been dying to read it, but he had been putting her off, telling her that she would just have to wait until the book was done. But now, that he had finally finished the book; he wanted her to be the first one to read it.

When James looked up from his cell phone screen, he noticed the judge diligently studying some papers.

"What's he lookin' at now?" He asked his lawyer.

"Your criminal record," the attorney replied matter of factly. "Hopefully, he won't assign it much weight" he paused, to give his next words more urgency. "This is your last chance…to bring up extenuating circumstances. There will be no more continuances; final judgment will be rendered today".

"There's nothin' worth mentionin'."

* * *

1975

The next day Juliet dozed off during a particularly long lecture on time management skills. As he had been doing nearly every day, he inconspicuously cradled her body against his while she napped, supporting her weight. To outsiders, it appeared as though she was merely leaning slightly against him. Often, he got shoulder and neck spasms from holding still for such extended periods of time. Yet, he never mentioned it.

Late that afternoon, they went for a short walk on the beach, and were rewarded with a glorious sunset. Juliet thought she'd never seen the sky reflect so much orange while the sun slowly became one with the horizon. After spreading a blanket in the sand, they sat side by side directly facing the ocean. He enjoyed burying his feet in the black sand; whereas she remained sitting with her legs crossed on the blanket.

Something about the way she looked, reminded James of that time when he jumped out of the helicopter, swam ashore, and found her on the beach with a bottle of rum. He had asked her then what was she celebrating. Except now there was no rum.

_Jumping off that chopper was the best God damn decision I've ever made._

"I don't know….how you feel about this…I need to know," she said all of a sudden, alternating between eye contact with him and drawing in the semi-damp sand with a stick.

"What's really important is how you feel about it…" he turned his body to face her.

She stopped drawing in the sand to gaze directly into his eyes.

She gave him a dead pan style questioning look. "Are you dodging the question, James?**" **

He half-smiled. "ah, see….not really….remember what I said…that I got your back, no matter what?"

She sighed. She felt like crying. What scared her most was this roller coaster of emotions that made her feel so vulnerable. "I….I thought about not having it," She admitted, lowering her eyes. "Maybe for like five minutes…..but really, I could never do it…life is just too precious". If she had to be honest with herself, she had to admit that she had also thought about it some at other times since leaving the doctor's office.

He lifted her chin gently. "It's okay" he said soothingly.

"Your turn" she smiled, hugging her knees. His quiet acceptance worked like a charm in making her feel more settled and secure.

"I sometimes wonder what if…what if I had done things differently….with Clementine" his voice was filled with regret, as he looked out into the distance. "Sometimes, all we get is one chance."

_Oh, good. He's sorry about his daughter. _

He moved so that he was now sitting so close that their bodies touched side by side. All he wanted to do was to hold her and never let go. A wave of hot desire had settled deep, relentlessly pounding on his chest, making it hard for him to focus on anything else.

He was so close now; she could feel the warmth of his body so acutely that she momentarily forgot what they were talking about.

At this point nightfall had settled in, and they were pretty much aware of how it seemed to be getting darker by the second.

There was not a single soul left on their side of the beach.

He reached out to touch her cheek lovingly. She was the best thing that had happened to him and he'd be a fool to wreck his good fortune. "But now, I got me another chance….and I wanna give it a shot."

They reached for each other, their lips meeting briefly, as he lowered her onto the blanket.

"Can't think of a better way to celebrate," he said mischievously, pulling up the front part of her sundress, consumed by this unrelenting need to feel her naked skin.

She was wearing nothing underneath that dress.

She smiled, pulling herself up a little, knowing that she had taken him by surprise.

"You're amazin'" he whispered.

In an instant, she looped her arms around his neck; tantalizing him with her tongue and lips, by backing off a little, making him follow and ask for more.

**A/N: I've recently posted M-Rated version of chapter 7. Thanks for reading! Reviews always appreciated.**


	11. It Only Matters Who We Are

_It Only Matters Who We Are_

…

_Juliet watched Rachel set a couple of chocolate chip cookies on her lunch tray. The two sisters very much looked forward to their weekly lunch date at the cafeteria. Normally, Jack was too busy on Fridays, so Juliet did not see much of him even though they worked at the same hospital._

_Once they sat down to eat, Rachel asked Juliet how the new nanny working out. This was the second nanny to be hired in a matter of a few short weeks, and Juliet was not happy about that. As a matter of fact, she was not happy with having to leave David with a nanny at all. _

_Rachel stated that she would be more than happy to take care of David, in case the new nanny did not work out either._

"_Oh…that would not be fair to you, Rach. How will you do your work with a baby?….it's a lot harder to get anything done with a baby, you know."_

_Rachel worked from home writing articles for various magazines, and was currently working on her first novel._

"_I can manage" Rachel replied. "I really want to help you, Jules. I think you'll feel better knowing that David is with me, than with some stranger you can never be completely sure about."_

"_Probably" Juliet conceded, even though deep down she knew that it would definitely bring her some peace of mind to have Rachel taking care of David. She loved her career too much to give it up, which caused her to be perpetually conflicted in how it interfered in her role as a mother. She just hoped that as David got older, she would feel better about this whole thing._

"_Time for dessert! My favorite time of day!" Rachel announced after finishing off the last bite of her chicken sandwich. With glee, she reached for the plate of cookies and offered one of them to Juliet._

_Juliet shook her head in adamant refusal._

"_Oh, come on….you don't need to deprive yourself….you look fantastic! Look at you, not an inch of fat on your body….amazing for just having had a baby!" Rachel insisted, feeling that the taste of a good thing (like those darn chocolate chip cookies) would multiply tenfold when shared._

"_I don't know how you can eat those…don't they remind you of mother?"_

_Rachel looked at her, confused._

"_You know…how she used to bake them cookies…and then she just sat in front of the TV all the time watching that awful movie… cause she couldn't deal with the divorce."_

She's certainly been acting weird since she had the baby_…Rachel thought. _

"_What are you talking about?" Rachel frowned. "There was never any divorce!" she added, visibly agitated, resenting any intrusion into her happy childhood memories._

* * *

_1975_

When she walked into the living room, she found James fumbling with the tiny dials of the 19 inch RCA TV set that sat squarely in front of the couch.

"I used to have a TV like this when I lived with my grandma," he said as soon as she walked into the room.

In all the time they'd been in Tahiti, they had watched TV maybe twice, and he had never said anything about the TV set being a path to memory lane.

"This one is in much better shape, though….our old one used to have color lines or just looked plain purple or red…the tube must have been busted cause no green colors ever came out of it."

They sat together on the couch, staring at the screen.

"This one looks like it's brand new" she stated in a neutral tone of voice, sitting back against the armrest and stretching out her legs.

"Grams refused to get a new TV" he stated bitterly.

They sat in silence for a while. As if on cue, he started massaging her feet.

She did not know what to say to that; she just assumed that Grams probably did not have a lot of money. Hadn't he mentioned that he grew up in a trailer park?

Right then, an episode of '_Father Knows Best'_ came on the screen. Wasn't this a show from way back in the fifties? Sixties? The opening credits rolled on. The kids in the show giggled when their parents were about to kiss. _Lame._

"Do ya think I'll ever be like that guy?"

"You mean, wise and all?" She smirked, clearly enjoying the foot rub.

"No, middle aged and uncool" he quickly replied.

Juliet sighed. "So you're worried that fatherhood will cramp your style?"

He chuckled.

"You'll be a good dad, if that's what you're worried about."

"You're the only person who's ever believed in me," he said with genuine appreciation. "My grandma used to say I was nothin' but trouble… just like my daddy."

She gave him a sympathetic look.

"She used to bake the best chocolate chip cookies ever…all that chocolate would just melt in your mouth….not overly sweet, it was just right," he said fondly, caught up in the memories. Then, he remembered what Juliet had told him about her mother and her parents' divorce. He looked at her somewhat apologetically. "I didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject…"

"Hey, It's okay…I don't have a monopoly on chocolate chip cookie stories…so don't let that stop you." She could tell he needed to get some things off his chest.

"Every Christmas Day, she would save me the best cookie of the bunch….or so she would say," he continued. "I think she said the same thing to every single one of her grandkids…"

"Maybe not" Juliet offered.

He stood up and went into the kitchen behind them for a cup of water. The kitchen had an open view into the living room and to the couch where she was sitting. "She only took me in out of guilt, you know…."

Juliet remembered him telling her that his grandmother had refused to talk to her own daughter for over ten years, never forgiving her for eloping with James' dad. What struck her the most was that the woman had not even met her grandson until her daughter's tragic death. She couldn't even imagine what it must have been like for James.

He finished drinking his water and then, walked to sit back by her on the couch.

"As it turned out, she was right about me."

She hugged her legs while reaching across to his side of the couch to snuggle up to him. "You were just a child," she caressed his arm with her fingertips. "If all you ever heard from your grandma were bad things about yourself and your dad, it makes sense that this so called troublemaking business would become a self-fulfilling prophesy at least for a while….but you know, you broke free from that."

"You sound like a shrink."

"Well…I did take a couple of psychology courses in college…" she admitted. "Anyway, you're a different person now… You're no longer Sawyer." She kissed him softly on the lips.

In response, he pulled her closer to him.

"James, just remember this…it doesn't really matter who you were….It only matters who you are now."

* * *

That Saturday afternoon, they went shopping together (A/N: well, okay, he wasn't much into it, but Juliet really wanted him to go with her). They roamed the baby isles for quite a while. At one point, James pulled out of its rack a white sailor suit with a cute little navy tie.

"How about that?...all we need is a little pipe and we got ourselves a Popeye outfit for Halloween," he suggested with casual sincerity.

"This is supposed to be a dress-up outfit, James" she chuckled a little. "For portraits, and special occasions."

"Coulda fooled me" he shrugged his shoulders.

James thought they should wait until they knew the baby's gender or get unisex outfits. Juliet agreed that indeed it made sense to wait, yet she decided to get a couple of baby dresses and the sailor outfit anyway. She reasoned that chances were slim that later on, she would be able to find exactly the same outfits.

Afterwards, they went to a different type of store; it was one specializing in cosmetics and perfume.

"We're getting those?" she asked, referring to the body lotion and dry oil he was holding in his hands.

"We won't make it back in time for your appointment" he said apologetically.

"Oh, my!" she exclaimed, while glancing at her watch. She'd never make it in time.

"So, then, I figured I'd be your masseur tonight."

"Hmmm…sounds good" she hummed happily.

As soon as they got back to their place, he promised her a full professional body massage, while he set the body oil in a pan filled with warm water.

"A wave of excitement surged throughout her body as she pondered as to _what_ _exactly_ he had in mind.

"From this point on, I'm no longer James…but Pierre" he stated, as he started getting things ready for the massage session. He drew the curtains, turned on a small lamp so that the living room would not be completely dark, and pulled out of the closet some sheets and a foldaway bed, which he placed in the middle of the room.

"Now, you go in there" he motioned to the bedroom "and take everything off" he added in a slow seductive voice. "I'll be fixin' us a little snack and getting everything ready."

He was in the kitchen, getting a plate ready with some cheese and crackers when she walked into the room wearing nothing but a white towel. He nodded his approval with a playful twinkle in his eyes, then asked her to get in bed (under the sheet).

When he walked back with the oil and their snack, he realized that she was lying on her tummy, her head to the side resting on a pillow; no sheet covering her, towel tossed aside.

He nearly dropped the plate full of crackers all over the floor for the sight of her naked body took his breath away! Determined to make good on his promise, he quickly covered her bottom with another much smaller towel (a hand towel) folded in half (lengthwise).

She reached down to the floor where he had placed the plate with the snacks, and ate a cracker. She was beaming with anticipation.

Meanwhile, he went to the other side of the room and turned on the record player. Soft classical music started playing in the background.

Next, he got a generous amount of already warmed lavender oil and rubbed it on his hands; which later covered every inch of her neck, shoulders and back. He massaged each area long enough to make sure that _every_ part of her skin was thoroughly flooded in oil.

The warm sensation of the oil on her skin combined with his slippery fingers made _every_ nerve ending in her body whimper joyfully in response to being pampered in this way.

"Oh, you're really good at this" she sighed as his hands focused on her shoulders and arms with long wide strokes. "Role playing seems to be your thing."

"Sure…any type of role playing, if you like" he said lightheartedly, moving towards her lower back with longer deeper strokes.

Suddenly, his expression turned stern as he remembered something. "The only thing I'm NOT into is any form of the slave/master thing or the prisoner and jail guard…"

At this point his sleek fingers were already rubbing her lower back alternating between circular and up and down motions. But then, his fingers lingered on _that_ scar, which stood out as being of a different tone as the rest of her skin. He couldn't even imagine what it must have been like for her…

_Some things will never be forgotten_, she thought with a heavy heart. Just like that scar will always be there as a reminder.

"Maybe you're just afraid I'll taser you with my secret taser?" She propped herself up on her elbows, her voice sounding aggravated.

He slid over to meet her eyes. At once, she turned her face away from him.

"Juliet…please look at me."

Slowly, she turned to face him, bits of regret clearly visible on her face. "I shouldn't have said that…"

"Juliet…listen, that don't matter now…It's not who we were, but who we are that really matters, right?"

She bit her bottom lip. Her expression softened. "I love you so much" she murmured.

"I love you more" he touched her cheek, sporting his dimples in full swing. "And now….all you need to do is relax, cause we are just getting started." He added, as he went into the kitchen to warm up some more oil.

**A/N:** Look for part 2 of this massage session coming soon to a screen near you.


	12. We're Home

We're Home

2015

**10:30 am.** The judge announced a short one hour break. James walked out of the courthouse building and headed towards the café across the street. His cell phone vibrated to indicate a new text message right as his feet stepped off the curve. The message was from Clementine. He was about to read it, when he heard the screeching of tires, followed by a set of wheels stopping a just a couple of inches shy of his body.

"HEY, WATCH IT!" the male driver behind the wheel yelled while making obscene hand gestures.

"Son of a bitch!" James mumbled under his breath, wishing he was back home in Alabama. He quickly tapped the hood of the car, knowing that it would make the driver see red and then, hurried over to the other side of the street.

Once inside the building, James found a small bistro table near the wall sized glass windows which had a great view of the street. He settled down to read the text message first, deciding he would get his coffee later.

"Got it! Can't wait to read it!" Clementine typed.

"Don't try to read it in class" he typed.

"Mom can't pick me up today, U need to get me."

James sighed. This hearing was already taking too long. He would have to rush in order to make it to his flight on time, and still be back home in time to pick up his daughter from school.

"Might be a few min. late," he texted. He hoped that she was not getting too distracted with this texting business while in class.

"It's Friday, dance pract. til 4:30" she texted back.

Well, that was better, he decided. It looked like he would have just enough time to make it. "OK, Sweets, see u then," he typed.

He had not visited his daughter in over a month since he had moved to New York. But this was his weekend with her. He was planning on this, regardless of the outcome of the hearing; except that he was not supposed to get her until the next day (Saturday).

That morning, he was wearing a suit and tie (which he hated as it was the middle of summer) and his contact lenses. He stood up, left his briefcase on the small bistro table and headed to the register to get his coffee. He realized by the temperature of the cup that he would have to wait before he could drink it.

James glanced at today's copy of _The New York Times_ that someone had left at scattered across the table. At once, he looked for the entertainment section, in case there was a movie that he and Clementine could enjoy at the theater. There was nothing, he decided. He had to be careful and try to stick with the classics, as today's movies were often unsuitable for a tender hearted thirteen year old, who (thankfully) wasn't much into boys yet (and he'd rather keep it that way as long as possible).

Except that sometimes even the classics could backfire. Six Saturdays ago, they had spent the afternoon eating pop corn and watching _Gone with the wind_. It was such a long movie that he had dozed off as he lay semi-reclined on a giant floor pillow. Clementine had nudged him back awake, sobbing about a child who had fallen from a horse.

"Scarlett and Rhett had a beautiful daughter …and she died" she informed him in tears.

James felt his body and soul stiffen. This had been a bad choice, he decided. He should have done his homework….he should have known that there was a child dying in that movie.

Presently, he glanced at his phone again to see if there was another text from Clementine. There was nothing.

The time on his phone read: **11:02 am**. He had a few minutes to kill, as he was not due back at the courthouse until 11:30. With no other distractions to keep him occupied (he was no longer interested in the paper), he became acutely aware that he was all alone with his coffee.

He had the distinctive notion that he was supposed to be waiting for something…._waiting for her_.

He heard her voice clearly saying:

"**We should get coffee sometime**." "We can go Dutch."

He heard his own voice saying:

"We'll be back someday." A pang of guilt surged from deep within which felt very much like a physical tightness in his chest.

He gulped his coffee which was still too hot.

The truth was that they had never gone back to Tahiti.

He took another gulp, glad to actually feel the coffee burning down his throat.

_I don't speak Destiny _

Yet there was this insistent voice inside telling him that something was supposed to happen that day. _Destiny? _Something he didn't even believe in?

He couldn't shake that feeling that had surfaced the minute he had woken up that morning. It was as if there was this invisible force, guiding his every step; this very same force which had urged him to send Clementine that e-mail during the hearing as though it was a piece of a jigsaw puzzle that needed be placed within certain interlocking pieces in order to create a particular design. Somehow, he knew that he would have to wait until the entire puzzle was completed in order to see the complete picture.

It was a bit like that movie _Groundhog Day_, wherein certain events kept happening in a certain predetermined sequence, and where he was merely a casual observer. Except that unlike Bill Murray, he actually did not know ahead of time the exact sequence of events or what the final outcome would be at the end of this day. He was only aware of a sense of familiarity or a general feeling of déjà vu as events continued to unfold throughout the day.

* * *

_1975_

It was time to go home.

Their suitcases were already packed by the door, except for Juliet's small duffle bag, which sat on the bed wide open waiting to be filled with last minute items. Juliet walked around every room, taking her time. She appeared intent on the task at hand, when all along she knew there was nothing really important she would have forgotten to pack. _It's not like I have any birth control pills to leave behind this time…_

That morning, James wore his best attire and his reading glasses. He was in the kitchen sitting on a barstool, and enjoying a cup of coffee while reading yesterday's copy of _The_ _New York Times._

She found a hair clip in the bathroom she'd thought she'd lost, and in the bedroom, there was that bottle of aspirin which had rolled under the bed.

She was stalling. The truth of the matter was that she did not want to leave this place, which she had grown to love in only a few short weeks. She'd never been happier in her entire life than during their entire stay in Tahiti.

When James walked into the bedroom, he found her frozen in time standing by her duffle bag. Their eyes met briefly before he reached to hold her in his arms. She buried her face in his shoulder, fighting back the tears with all her might.

"We'll be back someday" he whispered, not sure what else to say.

She took some comfort from those words. It gave her some hope.

They had to go back. She knew James was very much looking forward to his promotion as head of security of the Dharma Initiative. She could not take that away from him by insisting that they stay. Moreover, that promotion was exactly what he needed to help him overcome the ghosts from the past. In contrast, what could they hope for if they stayed? Their future in Tahiti was at best, uncertain.

* * *

Miles and Jin were delighted to see them come back to the island, and could hardly contain their excitement when they saw them board off the sub. Later, once they were gathered at their place, Miles confessed out loud that big part of him had not really expected them to come back.

"Well, it looks like you're here to stay" Miles smirked, as though this was a confirmation that he'd won some kind of bet.

"We got you some souvenirs," Juliet told Miles with a sweet smile, while handing him a cold beer straight out of the fridge.

"Yeah?" Miles replied, genuinely touched. He couldn't even think of a clever comeback remark.

"It's a life-sized cardboard cutout of Marilyn Monroe" said James keeping a straight face.

Miles squinted his eyes, as though preparing for a battle of wits.

Juliet half smiled and Jin laughed.

"James!" Juliet gently scolded him. Then, she turned to Miles. "Don't pay any attention to him…..we didn't really get you a stupid life-sized cutout of an overrated movie star…"

"Uhuh…And here I was, afraid to tell you that your flower garden died while you were gone….and your goldfish too…." Miles paused. "Oh, and your cat," he added as a calculated afterthought.

"We ain't got no cat, Enos" James said with a scowl.

"Oh, so…. that thing we found dead under your bed while we were house-sitting…was not even yours?" Miles replied shaking his head with feigned regret. "For days we wondered what that rancid smell was…"

For a second, James and Juliet looked at each other, momentarily alarmed.

Juliet covered her mouth to stifle a sound of dismay. All day long she had felt somewhat under the weather, feeling progressively worse as the day wore on. Suddenly, her queasiness reached a whole new level.

"He's just kidding, just kidding" Jin intervened when he saw Juliet's face turn pale.

Juliet ran out of the room, Jin's words still hanging in the air. But it was already too late.

James and Miles were now engaged in round two of the big battle of wits, oblivious to anything else.

"So, whatever happened to 'my slimy- lousy friends went to Tahiti and all I got was this lousy t-shirt'"? said Miles with a sneer and icy stare to boot.

James looked at Miles with a poker face. "Sorry, pal….we got somethin' even better…authentic Celtic sea salt…which they say improves brain function among _other_ things…"

The next few months went by in a flash.

Late one night, about three months later, Juliet awoke to find James gone from his side of the bed. Hearing voices in the living room, she quickly got out of bed and grabbed her robe. At once, she noticed that it was getting harder to fasten it around her waist.

She found James sitting at their dining room table, playing cards with Miles and Jin. Every once in a while, the guys had a games night, which she had forgotten about. Even in her drowsy state, she could tell that they had all been drinking, and that Miles was the most clear-headed of all three.

Miles called out her name as she walked past them to get a drink of water. "We're betting on a name for your baby," Miles informed her with a childish smirk.

Juliet forgot about the water, and sat on the couch next to the table; her eyes silently encouraging him to continue.

"Whoever wins gets to choose the name" Miles said with supreme delight. "You might wanna pray that Jim here wins" he chuckled. "Or you might be stuck with anything I PICK….or with a Korean name….."

They all looked at Jin, who was on the fence between feeling flattered or embarrassed at his sudden place in the spotlight.

"Korean names are unique, they are almost never repeated, as it would be too big of a coincidence" Jin stated.

They all continued staring at Jin, wondering since when his English had become so fluent.

"There are thousands of Korean sounds so the choices are limitless….also, it is against Korean tradition to repeat names" Jin smiled. "So that's good, right?

They all nodded in agreement to Jin's last statement, which sounded like a sound argument.

Then, the guys looked at Juliet, suddenly remembering that they were supposed to stay tuned for her reaction to their gambling scheme.

"That's the most ridiculous bet…." Juliet began, shaking her head in disapproval while being secretly amused by the whole thing. "Okay, tell you what…..I might give some consideration to this…AS LONG AS I like the name" she spoke almost in a singsong, leaning further back against the cushions, clasping her hands over her baby bump.

"Well…then, I SAY" James began enunciating his words carefully. "Her name will be Alice" James announced. Everyone except for Juliet gave him a questioning look. "In honor of _Alice in Wonderland_.''

James and Juliet smiled at each other, remembering their discussion in Tahiti.

" Oh, _Good Golly Miss Molly_….It's a game show!" Miles clapped his hands once and rubbed them together. "Name that character!" He continued with fake excitement. "How about E.T for a name?'

They all stared at Miles, frowning.

"E.T. Go home!" Miles stated in a robot sounding voice.

They all continued to stare at Miles, disapprovingly. _Shut up, Miles!_

"And if it is a boy?" Jin inquired to no one in particular.

"His name will be James" Juliet said.


	13. Free Will Is All We Really Got

**A/N:** Hopefulone: Thanks for sharing your thoughts which have inspired a host of ideas for this chapter. Koralina: I will keep your ideas in mind for future chapters.

* * *

Free Will Is All We Really Got

"_The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of"…. Blaise Pascal_

_Juliet walked into the nursery where David lay sleeping soundly. Even in the semi-darkness, she could clearly see the outline of the exquisitely hand painted clouds that decorated the walls and ceiling. Such masterpiece was the result of the work of an overzealous professional decorator hell- bent on achieving mint perfection. For some reason, this room never ceased to amaze her. And it wasn't just its décor. She felt that at about 20 x 16 ft, it was way larger than it needed to be. _

_Her eyes turned to the dresser next to the crib where her ipod sat, softly playing classical music. Earlier in the evening, she had turned the music on while she rocked David to sleep in her arms. This routine never failed to soother her baby. After about half an hour, she had quietly placed him in his crib, in case he was not quite fully asleep. Funny how babies often seem sound asleep, but stir back awake as soon as you lay them down. _

_The classical music routine, which had started while she was pregnant, eventually expanded to include children's audio books. She had always been a Dr. Seuss fan. Even as an adult she enjoyed listening to the repetitious rhymes which she found both amusing and at times, soothing. Thus, she chose to play 'The cat in the Hat' and "Green Eggs and Ham' for her unborn baby day after day while she meditated in bed with her eyes closed._

_One day, Jack walked into the bedroom and inquired as to what she was doing. Juliet explained that she read a medical journal asserting the benefits of stimulating the baby's brain while still in the womb. Aside from a likely increase in IQ, studies had shown that after birth, babies were effectively soothed whenever they were exposed to the same music and stories they heard played while in utero._

"_Oh" Jack had replied, mildly interested. "I'm cooking dinner tonight" he smiled shyly, although quite pleased with himself. He thought she would enjoy this special treat, as he rarely spent anytime at home let alone cook. He walked over to the bed and kissed her lightly on her forehead._

"_Ok" Juliet had mumbled, closing her eyes, and snuggling back into her pillow. _

_Her walk down memory lane was abruptly interrupted, when Jack walked in and kissed her on the forehead just as he had done that day in question. She was still standing by the crib as the music played quietly._

"_Dinner is ready" Jack announced with a quiet smile. _

"_Ok…I'll be right there" Juliet sighed, her eyes fixed on the sleeping baby._

_Satisfied, Jack looked on the sleeping baby for a second before walking out of the room. He was very much looking forward to a quiet evening at home._

_As soon as he was out of sight, she thought about what would happen if she left him. David was just an infant, so she reasoned that a divorce would have a far different impact in his life for he would have no actual memories of having his parents living together. Thus, if she was ever going to leave… now was the perfect time. _

_The problem was that logistically speaking, Jack had not actually done anything unforgivably wrong. Moreover, she knew that deep down he cared about his family, and she certainly did not want to hurt his feelings. Nevertheless she felt alienated from him. Something was missing: She needed to feel a deeper connection. _

_She loved him as a friend, and she suspected that was exactly how he felt about her. But he was not her best friend either; he was more like that type of friend that has always been around (like the boy next door). She would always be fond of Jack; he was sort of like a dear childhood friend that had no real connection to her in the present. _

* * *

_**1975**_

Juliet was near the end of her second trimester when the construction of the nursery was finally completed.

The nursery was rather small (12 x 8 ft), given that they did not have a lot of space available for this type of remodeling. Further, they had to follow the outline of the roof which extended only a few feet directly behind their bedroom. In order to accomplish this, they had to do without nearly half of their formerly covered backyard patio.

James had spent nearly all of his free time working on the construction of the nursery, along with Jin and Miles. They worked hard, but they also had loads of fun times.

"Those darn yahoos" James complained one day about Jin and Miles "Just 'bout wasted all the darn paint!" he ranted while standing at the new doorway not daring to step into the rest of the house, as loads of white paint were covering every part of his body and clothing.

Jin and Miles were right behind him dripping paint everywhere.

_A paint fight? Seriously?_ Juliet sighed, a bit confused as she had just awoken from a nap.

"He started it!" Miles claimed, pointing at James with his accusing eyes.

"Hold on…. Let me get the camera!" Juliet dashed out of the room, thinking she had to save this moment for posterity.

While the crew was busily hammering away and painting themselves silly, Juliet spent her time reading _Childbirth Without Fear_. The book outlined how to have the ideal birth experience: its basic premise was that in the right relaxing environment, a woman should not experience any pain during childbirth; making the use of drugs and other invasive medical interventions completely unnecessary.

That's when she clarified that it wasn't pain so much pain in itself that she was trying to avoid (although certainly a desirable benefit), but rather, she was merely trying to gain control of the situation by avoiding putting herself at risk of unwanted invasive procedures.

Subsequently, she proceeded to re-tell the history of childbirth as it pertained to 1970's.

Aghast, James listened while she spoke of the horrors of the era, of a time when doctors made all medical decisions; often not even bothering to inform their patients of the procedures and when informed consent was practically unheard of.

Furthermore, women in labor were often strapped to the birthing table as a standard procedure. Just the thought of being strapped made Juliet nearly hyperventilate. Next, they were heavily medicated (sometimes to the point of unconsciousness) which meant that they were unable to push during delivery. As a result, doctors used forceps (thongs that are attached to the baby's head) to forcefully extract the baby out.

Juliet considered the use of forceps to be (at best) a highly controversial procedure. One side reported it to be relatively safe with only minimal risk of temporary conditions to mother and baby. On the other hand, the opposition reported a considerable risk of a number of severe injuries among which was damage the baby's spinal cord that could result in death.

The Dharma Initiative did not own what was deemed adequate medical equipment to handle pregnancy complications such c-sections or neonatal care that went beyond the basics. Thus, it was standard policy to send the women on a sub to Tahiti around their due date. A flawed policy, Juliet decided. It was well known that a baby may be born anywhere between two weeks early or even a week late and still be considered 'at term'. Her best guess was that unfortunately, true preemies were doomed under this system.

James scratched his head, baffled. He'd come a long way from the early days when he had foolishly believed that the doctor back in Tahiti would have been able to determine the presence of twins or triplets early on in the pregnancy.

He was now awfully familiar with terms like 'natural childbirth', 'the birthing experience', 'Birth plans' and "_Lamaze'_ things he'd never cared the slightest bit about. He joked that he might be able to give a mini-dissertation on any of such topics one day. To achieve such level of expertise, he had studied her entire childbirth book and any other literature he would find lying around the house.

His goal had been to be able to participate in intelligent discussions. The end result was that the more engaged he became during such discussions, the more attached he became to their baby whom he had simply nicknamed "Little Bear."

The nickname came from a stuffed animal that James had special ordered from the mainland. It was a medium brown, medium sized bear with a yellow cowboy hat, and which resembled the one he used to have as a little kid (they would tie a nice pink ribbon around its neck if the baby was a girl, he said). The original bear had been lost one day when he was about 4 or 5 years old; he had fallen sleep at a picnic, and his parents had carried him to the car, forgetting the bear behind.

"Hmmm…this sounds like a good plot that would work great for _Toy Story 3,_" Juliet pondered. Last she heard there was talk of _Toy Story 3_ being in the works.

For a few seconds, she admired the mural on the wall, as they stood by the crib. Clouds. It showcased a universe of gracefully hand painted clouds, against a stark white background, courtesy of her dear friend Amy.

Then, she laid the bear inside the crib to rest on a small pillow, imagining what it would be like to finally have their baby laying there instead of the stuffed animal.

When she turned to look at James, she found that he had bridged any physical distance between them.

"I love you," he whispered ever so quietly. _What would I do if something went wrong?_ _There is no way I would ever wanna be with anyone else._

They locked eyes while he leaned his forehead against hers. She responded by putting her arms around his neck, and by lovingly searching for his lips. They kissed probingly at first, until it turned into a full open mouth kiss that lingered on and on. Their kiss was just starting to spin into a full blown make-out session, when they both felt a powerful jolt.

"Maybe Little Bear here is tryin' to tell us somethin'" James smirked, as he let her guide his hand on her belly where she felt the baby's kick.

She cherished moments like this. Just when she thought it was not possible to feel more connected to this man than she already was. Now they had this bond that would last forever: Their baby. _There will never be anyone else I'd rather have by my side. Ever._

"Hmmm…..I know…maybe Little Bear wants you to start writing _Toy Story 3,_" she smiled softly with subtle twinkle in her eyes.

"We'll leave that to the masters. Right now, Little Bear loves Dr. Seuss."

James thought of all the times that he had read aloud _The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham,_ while Juliet sat snuggled up to him on their living room couch knitting hundreds of sweaters and baby booties (or so it seemed to him) while the baby kicked to its heart content.

He started the ball rolling by reading books such as Watership Down aloud while she knitted. _Hell of a book. It's about bunnies._ However, he decided to stop right when it started referencing how female rabbits in the story were unable to carry their kittens to term. Neither Juliet nor the baby needed to hear any of that.

That's when he agreed to switch to Dr. Seuss during those quiet evenings together. Juliet loved listening to him read, which in combination with the knitting usually succeeded in putting her mind at ease.

"I'd love to see some of your writing someday" she said softly. _I believe in you_, she thought while looking intently into his eyes. Something told her to keep encouraging him, even though she had never actually seen any of his writing since he claimed he had nothing to write since_ 'he was no writer'_.

She recalled him telling her how he had once won an award for his entire school for a creative writing assignment. It had been the only award that he remembered ever winning. Juliet smiled. She could just picture him goofing around and giving his teachers a hard time in class; then stepping up to receive the award, going out of his way to shrug it off as if it was no big deal.

**Juliet's birth plan**

The next evening, during dinner, Juliet told James the good news first. The intern at the Dharma clinic was confident that the rest of her pregnancy would be uneventful. The bad news? He'd already made arrangements for her to board the sub a week before her due date. Neither Juliet nor James were thrilled at the prospect of Juliet leaving the island by herself…worst of all, they would be separated for an undetermined amount of time.

"I'm not getting on that sub" Juliet declared as she stood up to retrieve something from the kitchen. That was her birth plan, her way of taking charge and making sure she had a choice. _Free will is all we really got._

She was going to give birth on the island.

James thought it was kind of ironic how things had changed.

* * *

**A/N**: eyeon: Thanks for your comments/questions. I am currently working on Chapter 11, part 2 (M-Rated fic, to be posted as a one shot). Also, did I mention that I keep a log on my home page with time frames for uploading of chapters/fics?


	14. I Got You

**A/N:** Southergirl89: Thanks for helping me fine- tune Sawyer's dialogue.

Dear readers: To avoid any confusion during this chapter, please keep these guidelines in mind: 1) As always, passages in italics means the sideways world. 2) Passages NOT in italics are set in 2015; except for those passages in bold (which you will understand once we get there). 3) There is no Dharma time in this chapter.

* * *

I Got You

The next day after the _Gone with the Wind_ fiasco, James and Clementine went to Blockbuster Video to rent a movie.

It was a holiday weekend. Thus, it was getting hard to walk around the store without bumping elbows into someone.

"How about_ Four Christmases_?" He asked as he pulled out the DVD case from the shelf. This movie was simply hilarious. Yep, that was exactly what he needed: some nice good laughs for a change.

"We have seen it three times already!" she said quickly. "I wanna see something romantic."

She showed him the DVD case of the movie she had in mind_._ "PLEASE, Daddy…I've never seen it…" she pleaded, complete with her bestest expression of long lost little Shirley Temple (only a little older), dimples and all.

How could he say no?

He had not been around the first six years of her life. The least he could do was to get her the darn movie.

"Just so you know….there ain't nothin' romantic 'bout a sinking boat filled with people plunging to their death" he sneered.

_Juliet flipped the TV channels mindlessly, with her silver glow in the dark remote control. Jack was gone; he had been on call at the hospital for the last 12 hours, and she did not expect him back until the wee hours of the morning. It was late at night and she lay in bed bored silly. She was about to give up and turn the TV off, when a title caught her attention. 'Titanic'. Yes, she knew Titanic's tragic story just like everyone else on the planet. But she had never actually seen this film in particular before._

James held on to the _Titanic_ DVD case while waiting in line. He was next, and there were 4 people behind him in line. Clementine looked around the store for popcorn and other snacks.

The girl at the cash register, who was wearing a tiny tank top and a leather miniskirt, had her head buried in her cell phone. She was also wearing tons of dark makeup, and piercings around her eyebrows, lips and nostrils.

He felt the sudden urge to protest. He turned to his daughter (who was now standing next to him) and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "Nope, absolutely not! There is no way in hell you're getting piercings like that!" he blurted out.

Clementine shook her head, speechless. She looked around for a place to hide. Luckily, there was a giant dispenser of M& M's nearby.

The cashier was still distracted with her phone.

"Now Sweetheart…I don't meant to be rude…but if you actually looked up from that screen for 5 seconds, you would surely realize that there is a whole line of people here waiting their damn turn…." He motioned to the line of long faces behind him. "While you tweet, text and check your darn e-mail?"

The girl sneered at him, and then got busy with the register.

"Boy, aren't we lucky? She just un-tweeted herself long enough to ring up this sale." James remarked as loudly as possible turning to the people in line behind him.

"Now, don't ya get any ideas, Princess, 'cos if ya ever look like that…" he began, as he walked out the door with his daughter right behind him.

"I know, I know…you'll come after me and embarrass me in front of the entire world…I get it, I get it" she sighed dramatically, throwing her hands up in the air for emphasis.

Almost as soon as they arrived at his condo, which was on the top floor of a six story building, Clementine raced to put the DVD into the player.

James decided to do some writing on his laptop while the movie played. He would have never picked a movie like this on his own accord. Determined not to pay much attention, he tried to focus on his typing; yet he found himself staring at the big screen during a particular scene near the beginning of the movie when Kate Winslet (Rose) nearly went overboard the ship's railing….

Jack to Rose: "I've got you. I won't let go."

Then Leonardo Dicaprio (Jack) was able to get her safely back aboard the ship.

_About half way through the movie, things looked quite dire for the passengers of the Titanic. Juliet had too much invested at this point to turn back now. Part of her wished she had not started watching this: Too much misery and heartbreak. It did not look as though Jack and Rose would make it out of this alive and get their happily ever after. _

_For some reason, this next part reminded of a certain someone she couldn't quite name…_

_A scared passenger recited: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of death …" when Jack steps up behind him and said: "You wanna walk a little faster through that valley!?" in an attempt to get the man to hurry up the stairs._

_Juliet could not stop watching, hoping against hope that everything would be okay in the end. At one point, the ship broke in half; Jack and Rose clung to one side, as the opposite side sunk, turning them up in the air in a straight line. People clung on for dear life all around Jack and Rose. Right then, the girl that was underneath Rose let go and plunged straight down into the water. Juliet clutched Jack's pillow tightly for she feared that Rose would be next. _

_Jack to Rose: "Do not let go of my hand."_

_Juliet held her breath, afraid to move, let alone breathe._

It was exactly at this point in the movie that James stormed out of the room, breathing fast. Further, it surprised him how angry he was at her. She let go. He could have done something more to save her, if only he had had more time. But she let go. Why?

He stepped out into the balcony.

_All around Jack and Rose, people were struggling to stay afloat the freezing water. Rose lay shivering uncontrollably onto a piece of wreckage from the ship, while Jack remained in the water next to her._

_Rose to Jack: "I love you, Jack."_

_Jack to Rose: "Don't you do that, don't you say your good-byes. Not yet, do you understand me?" _

**Double sided doors opening. **

**As Juliet makes her way through the middle of the grand lobby, she is greeted by a sea of smiling faces.**

**There he is. He is standing at the top of the magnificent Grand Staircase, above which stood a colossal glass skylight. **

**He's facing a clock etched on the wall. As she walks up the stairs, he turns around, and holds out his hand to her. She had had visions of him before so many times. Yet, every time she had managed to forget his face.**

"**I've been waiting for you." He tells her, so glad to see her.**

**She says nothing, only takes his hand. That voice. She would recognize it any where. She studies him carefully for she doesn't want to forget what he looks like this time.**

"**Wanna be my date tonight?" He asks.**

**Juliet nods. **

"**Lady in Red." She sees herself smiling brightly when he says that.**

_**I was going to ask her to marry me…**_

"**Will you marry me?" He asks. This time he is not going to waste anytime waiting for the right time. THE TIME IS NOW.**

**Juliet nods again, unable to find her voice. This time, there are tears of joy in her eyes. **

**James gets a diamond ring out of his pocket and slips it in her ring finger. It fits just right.**

"**I love you" she says, leaning in for a sweet short kiss. **

**Water starts rushing down through the Grand Staircase. **

**They don't have much time. So he takes her hand and they start running through long corridors, looking for a way out. But this ship is sinking fast.**

"_**I'm going to get you out of here…we're gonna go home together"**_** he says. **

**As they turn a corner, she lets go of his hand, and she finds herself suddenly alone. Bewildered, she turns 360 degrees; everything spinning around her now. **

James realized he'd been clenching his fists tightly around the banister. He's not sure what happened. Disoriented, he looked down the balcony, and then up at the starry night sky.

Once back in the living room, he wondered how long he had been out there. The movie credits were still rolling. He guessed it was probably at least an hour between the time he stopped watching and the end of the movie. Where did all that time go?

The only logical explanation was that he had fallen asleep. He's gotta get this sleep walking under control, he thought.

With some relief, he realized that Clementine was asleep on the couch. He needed some time to clear his head.

_Juliet looked around the room. The movie credits were still rolling. She's not sure what happened. Did she fall asleep?_

_Five minutes after the ending credits finished rolling; Juliet was still staring at the screen as if in a trance. Jack was dead. He had sacrificed his life to save the life of the woman he loved. Her heart ached for Jack (not her Jack). _

_She was still in a daze when Jack (her Jack) came home from the hospital. He looked completely exhausted. He walked in, mumbled a faint 'hi', and collapsed on their bed._

_She turned off the TV and snuggled up to her pillow; knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to sleep. She just lay there with her eyes wide open. _

_Jack turned his head to look at her. He managed a faint smile that she did not attempt to return in the least. Even in his tired state, he could tell something was clearly bothering her. _

_A few minutes later, Juliet got out of bed and went into the bathroom. Maybe splashing some water on her face would help her think more clearly._

_The glimmer on her finger caught her eye right away, as her own reflection stared back at her through the mirror above the sink. She froze, her hands framing her face, water dripping down seamlessly. The ring. This was not her plain wedding band. This ring had a diamond…this was an engagement ring…_


	15. Any Plan Is Better Than No Plan

Any Plan Is Better Than No Plan

**A/N: **This chapter required some research and careful planning. I would like to thank** Koralina **and **Southerngirl89 **for their collaboration.

**Koralina: **Thanks so much for your contribution. Our extensive discussions really helped in shaping the sequence of events that follow both this chapter and the next.

**Favorite quote of the day**: Christian Shephard in the series finale: "Nobody does it alone, Jack."

* * *

**2015**

**11:10 am. **James still had some time to kill before he was due back in court, so he finished drinking his coffee at his leisure.

His phone sang a little tune to notify him of a new e-mail. He clicked on the e-mail icon, which revealed that Miles had just written something on James' _Facebook_ page. Quickly, he navigated through the news feed. Seconds later, he stopped browsing as he did not have the time to look through the never ending thread.

For a second he looked at the status icon in the middle page. It prompted him to type what was on his mind. Thus, he wrote something he had seen someplace else before: "_Facebook_ is like prison…..you write on walls and poke random people."

Then, he went to his inbox to find Miles' message.

"It's all about how you market yourself" Miles had typed.

There was a picture of Miles and his wife posing next to the president of the United States. On the very bottom, Miles wrote: "This ain't no cardboard cutout. It's the real McCoy."

James chuckled. He recalled the time he had taunted Miles with the Marilyn Monroe cardboard cutout remark. The look on Miles' face had been priceless!

Back to the picture on his screen. Well, he had to admit that it did look quite realistic. _Maybe Miles did actually meet with the president?_ Somehow, he would not put it past him.

He briefly stared at the screen announcing a new friends' request. He had 48 now.

"Dad…you've got 47 _Facebook_ friends' requests…" Clementine had mentioned one day while they looked at his _Facebook_ page together.

"So? I don't even know half these people…"

"What about the other half?"

"So I know 'em…but that don't mean they're friends…"

Clementine shook her head. In her mind, the more contacts she had the more potential readers!"

Apparently, his definition of friendship was becoming old fashioned.

This reminded him of a similar conversation with Miles.

"I'll take my 12 REAL friends any day…..to your 348 cyber spaced fake ones! He told Miles one day. He certainly wasn't out to impress people with his number of _Facebook_ 'friends.' Neither was he impressed with the fact that Miles had actually met his wife through a 'friend' of a 'friend' on this overly popular social networking site.

Miles had stared at him, baffled. _Only 12? Pitiful!_

That day, Clementine had showed him how to put the title of 'author' on his page right underneath his name. It appeared to be highly complicated process that he wouldn't have been able to duplicate.

It amused him to no end that now he was calling himself an author.

"How else do you think I got my book sold, Daddy?" she beamed with confidence. "I already got five copies sold… all on my very first week!" she added, grinning from ear to ear.

Clementine had proven herself to be quite resourceful at such a young age. She had successfully written, promoted, and published her own e-book on _Amazon_. Thus, James agreed to allow her to upload his book onto _Amazon_ once he was good and ready. It would certainly save him some time, he decided.

* * *

**1976**

Christmas and New Year's came and went. It was now early January and the time had come for Juliet to travel to the main land to deliver her baby. She was careful not to alert anyone of her intentions to not follow through on what was expected of her. Rules and regulations were extremely important to Dharma folk. Everyone was expected to follow them, no exceptions. Period.

After weeks of careful planning, James had arranged for Jin to be assigned night time duty at the Staff Dharma Station, which was about 4 miles south from the Barracks. No one else was expected to be there that night.

The plan was for James to drop off Jin and Juliet at the Staff station, where they would spend the night. James was to leave and return the next day; only after making sure that the sub had left the island. Then, he would head down to the Staff station and all three would make the journey back to the barracks together.

James hated the fact that aside from remaining in constant communication with Jin and Miles, he would really have nothing to do except wait at home until it was time for him to drive back.

Juliet was okay with the plan. Even if there was no comfortable place for her to rest at the station, she could always use the back of the van.

She knew of the plans to make The Staff a fully operational medical facility, and that at this point in time it was work in progress. Of course, she did not expect to find anything close to that 1992 ultrasound scanner that she had used to run tests on Sun in 2004. But still, it was a great opportunity for her to see what kind of equipment (if any) was available before she went into labor.

James drove south in one of the vans that night after midnight. Jin sat next to him while Juliet tried to remain incognito in the back of the vehicle.

They were chatting and listening to music, when all of a sudden the Volkswagen van hit a log in the road. As the van rocked side to side, James muscled the steering wheel to keep control. Everything seemed to be okay; however, the headlights started flickering and then grew gradually dimmer until they eventually went out altogether. The motor still ran, but it would have been foolish to continue along in complete darkness.

They still had about another 2 miles before they reached their destination, but at the speed they were going (about 15 miles per hour); it would take them another 9 minutes or so to get there. The terrains were too rough to drive any faster than that.

Thus, James turned off the engine and looked at his passengers right in the eye**. **"We'll just wait till morning."

"That's like 5 hours from now…let's just call Miles" Jin suggested with his walkie in hand.

"No, Miles is supposed to be watching our backs! James sighed. Miles and Phil had been assigned the night time shift at the security station. The last thing he wanted was for Phil to become suspicious or to notice anything compromising through the monitors.

"What if the engine won't start?" Juliet wondered. "It could be the battery in which case…the engine will most likely not start."

Jin opened up the hood. Both Jin and James peered their heads inside the engine.

"It's the fan belt…that bump must have thrown it off" Juliet said. She was the last one to get close enough to look at the engine.

Those old Volkswagen vans were always prone to breaking down and the charging system was an accepted flaw.

"We can drive it till the engine dies and that's it. We better just stay put and wait till mornin'." James was thinking they would just wait for Miles to radio them, and let them know that the coast was clear. That is, once the sub had left the island, they would simply drive straight back to the barracks without alerting anyone of their predicament.

Juliet sighed. Well, at least they had a van and not a pick up truck. They had plenty of blankets in the back. She could rest there for a while. Her back was killing her. Thus, she tried to rest her hands on her hips in order to get some relief. She was at that stage of her pregnancy where she was uncomfortable no matter what she did.

"Let's just go to the Staff. I can use my flashlight to shine the way… "Jin proposed. "Then, we can head back together in the morning…."

"That's a good idea" Juliet agreed.

James nodded, the wheels in his head turning. He was beginning to see that this new plan might actually work out better. He could later explain their absence to Horace as his own decision to work with Jin at the Staff station, even though it was technically his night off. In addition, the fact that Juliet was with him could be justified as it being their last night together before her trip. Further, their van breaking down would be a good reason for Juliet to be miss the sub, should anyone ask.

Right then, they heard faint rustling somewhere behind them….

In an instant, James and Jin turned around and drew out their weapons.

There were five men pointing their rifles at them and countless others hiding around them. They were surrounded.

"This is a violation of the truce" one of them said.

"Ain't that somethin'…. we just decided this lovely spot right here would be just right for our darn van to break down…can't beat the scenery…" James said with a twisted smile.

"Actually, we come in peace" said the leader. "We'll put our weapons down" he added, motioning to his men.

Jin and James looked at each other; although suspicious of the men's intentions, they also put their weapons down.

James lowered his eyebrows, locking eyes with Juliet. He motioned with his head for her to get inside the vehicle, the safest place for her to be.

In response, she cocked her head, the muscles around her face tightening. She held his gaze with her chin up. But then, realizing that continuing to stand in one place was the worst thing for her back, she promptly headed for the backseat of the van.

"I got a message from Richard" said the leader. Then, he took a piece of paper out of his pocket. He handed it to his right hand man.

"May we approach?" the man asked.

"I'll take it" James walked over to meet him way across the field.

"It's really for her" the leader proclaimed, his eyes glued on the Volkswagen van.

James narrowed his eyes. He wondered what all this was about, but he figured there was no harm in taking the paper to Juliet.

Juliet stared at the paper, puzzled. "It says Richard wants to meet me at the temple." she ran her hand across her forehead, thousands of thoughts running through her mind.

James, Jin and Juliet looked at one other in awe. They had heard of the existence of a temple, but they didn't know much about it or set foot anywhere near it.

It wasn't until 1977 that the Dharma initiative had conducted remote video surveillance of the temple through the Flame Station.

"The temple is about 3 miles northwest from here" the leader informed them." "Just show the note to whoever you meet there…"

"We ain't going" James stated quickly, believing that it would be too risky to head into hostile territory with just some note. _And for what?_ They had no reasonable assurance that they would not be treated as enemies once they got there.

"No one is going to shoot you. Terms of the truce state questions need to be asked first. Besides, everyone there knows that Richard is expecting you" the leader tried to reassure them.

Right then, the winds started picking up. Loud deafening sounds and lighting filled the air. Nobody said a word.

That familiar cloud of smoke started rising in the horizon. It was none other than the Smoke Monster; it was coming from the north heading south.

There was no time to lose. Decisions had to be made fast.

The hostiles retreated into the bushes in fear, heading west in a straight line.

Juliet held her breath, her big blue eyes fixed on the monster's unrelenting fury while Jin and James dashed inside the van. Every fiber of her being instantly recalling her last encounter with the thing: she had faced it fearlessly, head-on. Except that now, there was no sonic fence nearby offering its welcomed protection.

The three of them breathed a collective sigh of relief when at once, the engine started.

In the nick of time, James started driving northwest, a clear path ahead. Jin took out a flashlight through the rolled down passenger window, and shone it in front of the vehicle, in an attempt to make it work like a headlight.

As they drove away, the group of hostiles hid behind some trees. Once the danger had passed, they celebrated their good fortune. They felt lucky that no one was hurt during this episode.

"Richard only wants the woman."

"I know" said the leader. "He says she's one of us."

"But you sent all three of them…" the other man questioned.

"So? The men won't be able to get in…. if Richard does not want them to."

…

**A/N**: **1)** **References:** This chapter was partly based on information obtained from Lostpedia: The Lost Encyclopedia and on information gathered by Jonah M. Adkins, GISP (2009), a cartographer who created several maps of the island based on official and non-official websites. Special thanks to **Southerngirl89** for sharing this useful information.

**2) Announcement:** Some of you might have read _A Night To Remember_ (chapter 11, part 2), which was available for a short time a couple of days ago. For those of you who missed it: this story will be re-posted at a later time with some additional changes.


	16. Special

Special

…

James kept on driving North West, while Juliet studied the map drawn on the back of the note from the hostiles which indicated how to find the door to the temple. As soon as Juliet spotted the stone wall depicted in the map, she asked James to stop the vehicle. James parked a few feet away from the wall and kept the engine running.

Juliet stepped out of the vehicle without saying a word.

"This is not a good place" Jin told James his eyes revealing a sense of urgency. He had suddenly remembered the wall with its overgrown vegetation all around that he had seen while time traveling to 1988. This was definitely the same place.

James rushed to follow Juliet. She was walking fast for a woman nearing the end of her 3rd trimester.

"Juliet…let's get back in the van" he pleaded as he caught up with her, taking hold of her arm.

He was surprised to see the deadpan look she gave him, mixed in with something he did not recognize. Her icy stare fell to her arm as his grip tightened.

Slowly, he released his grip, giving her a questioning look.

She ignored him, and turned around to examine the wall, now just a foot away. As if in a trance, she recalled Richard telling her: _deep down you know the place we are taking you to is special…. _

By the light of the moon, her eyes examined the note carefully. The words: "You'll see things there you'll never imagine" were written followed by some instructions as to how to open the door to the temple.

She found the stone door right after removing some ravines out of the way. Without giving it a second thought, Juliet leaned her back against the door, just as the instructions said for her to do. It was a split second decision, much in the same way she had decided to drink that glass of orange juice that Richard and Ethan had offered her prior to arrival on the island in 2004.

Bewildered, James watched the stone door swivel open and shut quickly behind Juliet. In a near state of panic, he realized that the door would not swivel back open for him.

"Son of a bitch" James cursed piercingly. He screwed up his face and gritted his teeth. He should have done something more to stop her!

Jin, who had been distracted messing with the car radio, looked up when he heard James shouting.

"She disappeared, she fucking disappeared!" James shouted, alternating between pounding with his fists on the stone wall door, and pushing his back against it.

After a few minutes, James realized it was futile to keep repeating the same actions while expecting different results. Thus, he studied the possibility of climbing the wall. There was a good chance he would get shot. Yet, what was the alternative? Doing nothing?

In the meantime, Jin walked around the stone wall, looking for another way in with his flashlight and weapon drawn. For a few moments, it was as if it was 1988 all over again. Jin's eyes dwelled on the hieroglyphics on part of the wall and then traveled down where the stones part to reveal a jaw hole. Bewildered, he half expected to find himself back with the French science team as they struggled to save their leader from being sucked into the stone jawed hole in the ground underneath that corner wall. He looked around, relieved that there was no decomposed arm lying around.

By the time James heard the words "drop it!" he knew it was too late. They were surrounded again by a group of hostiles pointing their menacing weapons at them, some of them were standing directly behind him.

Sensing that this particular group of men were dead serious, Jin did as he was told and dropped his weapon, kicked it out of reach with his foot, and raised his arms in surrender.

James reached for his walkie, which he carried in the over-sized pocket around his waist. He pushed the side button several times, hoping that miles would interpret this as a distress signal.

* * *

At the security station, Miles continually scanned of the monitors and kept watch on the red button that would switch (change) the angle views. He had pre-selected the least compromising angle views of the grid that showed the path to the Staff Station. His job was to keep Phil from having to push that red button.

For the most part, Miles tried to keep Phil distracted with small talk.

Then, as if she was a present from the heavens, Phil's eyes brightened when he saw Rosie come into the security room with a tray full of cookies. Earlier in the day, Miles had arranged for Rosie to visit them. He knew that Phil really liked Rosie.

Miles smiled widely when Rosie walked in with that flirty walk of hers, complete with noticeable swaying of the hips. He gazed approvingly at her revealing mini-skirt.

Phil also smiled, but his smile was self-conscious and unsure. At this point in time, he seemed more concerned with Rosie breaking protocol by showing up without prior authorization.

Rosie set down the plate of cookies on the nearest flat surface and then, tossed her hair back and forth a few times, while maintaining eye contact with Phil.

Phil stretched back in his rolling chair, hooking his thumbs underneath his belt.

"Thanks, Rosie…it was…kind of you to bring the cookies" Phil said.

There was uncomfortable silence for a minute or so. Rosie just kept smiling, leaning back against the open area close to one of the monitors.

Phil shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. "Hmm…We need to get back to work now."

Rosie looked down, as though suddenly embarrassed. "I…I…There's a big spider at home…and I was hoping that one of you guys would help me with that…being big security guys and all" she added with deference. "I think it's a black widow!"

Miles looked away in order to hide his amusement. Rosie was playing her role really well.

"You go on, Phil…I'll cover for you until you get back" Miles smirked, winking at Phil in the most reassuring way. With any luck, Rosie would be able to distract Phil until morning. "You'll be crazy to let this chance slide, man." He whispered with a knowing smile, pretending he did not want Rosie listening in.

Rosie winked back at Miles. Even though she liked Phil, she had always secretly admired Miles.

Sensing that Rosie was having a change of heart, Miles was momentarily conflicted. Although he would love to get it on with Rosie, especially now that she seemed so willing, but this would certainly mess up their plans. He needed to get rid of Phil so there would be no chance of him catching anything suspicious on the monitors.

Wordlessly, he tried to convince her with coordinated movements of his head and eyes that she needed to get on with the program and follow through with the scheme of seducing Phil.

It was during this interlude with Rosie, that Miles missed the distress call from James. By the time Phil left with Rosie, and Miles attempted to answer the call, there was no one on the other line.

The next team to take over the night crew shift wasn't due until 9 am. That was the time that he expected his friends to be back; assuming things went according to schedule, the sub should be long gone by then.

* * *

They both woke up with massive headaches. They were in some kind of chamber, surrounded by nothing but stone walls. They assumed that they were inside the temple**.**

Many hours passed. Looking at his watch, Jin guessed they had been imprisoned for at least 12 hours straight, maybe 24. Since they were deprived of any light, it was always dark all the time and they seriously were disoriented in terms of day and night.

From time to time, one of the stones on one of the walls would swivel to reveal a tray of food and drinks. At first, both James and Jin left the food and drinks untouched. But then, thirst won the battle, although they still refused the food.

It only took a few minutes for James to feel the nasty effects. His vision became quite blurry, and his head spun with a severe case of vertigo. Thus, he had to sit still with his head back against the wall for the slightest movement would cause his head to spin wildly. Shortly thereafter, Jin developed the same symptoms except to a lesser degree. Jin guessed that the reason might be due to the fact that he had consumed far less water than James.

Next time they got some food and drinks served, Jin poured out the drinks in a corner of the room. He was feeling almost back to normal; whereas James was still suffering from the effects of whatever drug they had been given except to a bit of lesser degree. Jin worried that James may be experiencing some type of extended reaction. Thus, he insisted that having something in their stomachs might help in reducing the symptoms, so they ate all the saltine crackers that came with their meal tray.

"Remember last time we were stuck in a hole?" James said referring to that time they had been caught by the tail section survivors. Even though they were not technically in a hole, there was not much difference between the two situations.

"At least…it is not so hot in here" Jin grimaced.

"It's the luck of the Irish!" James said with a faint twisted smile.

Jin gave him a blank look.

"Did I ever tell you I'm half Irish?" James smirked. Who knows? There might be a little green man with a funny hat out there looking out for me" he laughed heartily vaguely aware of crossing some line to the inappropriate. But he really did feel as though he had just consumed twenty gallons of whiskey, which coincidentally fit in well with St. Patrick's day celebrations. "Next time, I'll make a formal request for luxury accommodations and a shamrock…or two… one for you too, Jin."

Jin's lips tightened, shaking his head slightly.

"I know you're worried about Juliet…but we'll get her out of here" Jin said, by this time having learned to understand his friend's sense of humor. "Let's lay down and play dead…next time they come to check on us…they'll expect us to be drugged…"

James nodded, hoping that his vertigo would be gone by the time the opportunity to break out of their cell presented itself. Jin was such a loyal caring friend; no matter what happened, he had to get Jin and Juliet out of this place.

James wondered how could Jin live without knowing for sure what became of Sun once since she left the island. He had only been separated from Juliet for just a few hours, and he was already crazy with worry.

"How do you do it? I mean…Sun...not knowing" James slurred his words, still feeling stone dead drunk. This was the first time he had broached the subject with Jin in such a direct manner.

Jin swallowed hard. "I just tell myself she's okay…she has to be okay," allowing himself to think otherwise would be the equivalent of self-torture.

The opportunity to escape presented itself a few hours later. Both James and Jin had been sleeping for the first time in many hours; their symptoms subsided, when a tall man came to check on them. They both woke up at once, yet pretended to be still sleeping. The man prodded them with a stick….

Suddenly, Jin propelled himself forward head- butting the man with unparalleled force, making the man fall backwards. The man reached for his gun, at which point James launched forward and punched him repeatedly until the man was unconscious and picks up the gun.

James and Jin ventured outside their cell; the rush of adrenaline driving them forward, making up for the lack of nourishment they had weathered in the last 36 hours. No longer feeling crippled by intoxication, James made his way down the corridor. Following close behind, Jin was acutely aware of the sounds of footsteps coming from the opposite direction.

When they came upon a big courtyard, they ambushed a couple of men talking by some pillars. using the handle of the gun, James whacked both men and they fell to the ground unconscious. Amazing! It was just like in the movies; James couldn't believe how easy it was.

Then, they heard voices. There was a big gathering somewhere. They followed the trail.

What James heard next was mind-boggling: The cries of a baby.

What followed was even more astounding: on the other side of a pillar stone, James saw a crying baby being submerged into a pool that sat in the middle of the room.

The person holding the baby into the springs was a young woman by the name of Eloise Hawking whom James had met while time traveling in 1954. James thought she looked familiar, but he did not recognize her.

Richard stood nearby watching.

James made an involuntary noise from his hiding place behind a tall pillar as he pondered what was happening, and who that baby was.

At once, he felt the barrel of a gun being held against his back, as he and Jin were brought forward into the room to face Richard.

"What's going on?" James snarled, glaring at Richard.

Richard did not seem surprised; neither by his presence nor by his question, looking at James with his usual matter of fact expression.

"This is a baptism, James." Richard said flatly.

James felt as though he had been punched in the gut. He was vaguely aware that there were men behind them still holding them at gun point. None of it mattered. He stared at the baby as it was brought out of the pool in disbelief; the less primitive part of his brain refusing to believe what he already suspected…that this baby was indeed his.

"Where's Juliet?" James asked, his heart pounding as though it would explode into a zillion pieces. _Something must have happened to her_.

"She's okay…she's resting…" Richard's straight face with his thickly set eyebrows was hard to read.

James watched Eloise carry the crying baby to a concrete slab and begin to dress him. Then, he glanced at Jin, partly to make sure he was still there next to him, and partly seeking an independent confirmation that this was no drug induced hallucination.

Turning his attention back to Richard, James spoke in an aggravated tone. "You…you did all this…just so you could do this… baptism? He clenched his teeth while keeping his eyes glued on the baby.

"This child…your child, James" Richard began carefully, taking his time to enunciate every word. "He's special…one day, he will do great things" he declared in an authoritative tone.

**A/N: _A Night to Remember_ is now available. Be sure to check out this new version as turned out to be quite different from deleted version; it's a whole new story. **


	17. Cause I Ain't Got a Choice

**A/N: **Thanks to everyone who has read, everyone who has reviewed and/or followed this story thus far.

**And for those of you who love true stories: **

Right after I posted chapter 16, I announced to my family that I was going to take a few days off from writing. "It's about time you took a break from all that crazy non-stop writing" they all cried in unison, while reaching for their party hats. Sensing the excitement in the air, my dog Fido jumped on my lap and licked my face.

Then, something happened that sent me back to my keyboard sooner than I intended. The next day, I was out celebrating, having the time of my life when my phone buzzed with an unread e-mail. I resisted peeking for two whole (long) hours! Yet when my significant other wasn't looking, I peeked.

After all, what was the harm? I was only checking one little e-mail. There would be no writing involved here. Right? And there it was! A guest reviewer kindly requesting an update. I chewed my lower lip: I was torn. But then, I thought that my family would surely understand that I needed to get this story out to my guest reviewer as soon as possible! Right? And that's how this chapter was born.

**And for those of you who love songs by Linda Ronstadt: **(this may be your lucky day!)

As inspiration for this chapter, I cheated a little bit and used some lyrics by Linda Ronstadt, which you will find inserted and/or adapted into Juliet's sideways story. _**Somewhere Out There, All My Life, Long Long Time, and Don't Know Much.**_

Timelines in this chapter: Dharma and sideways.

**Cause I ain't got a choice**

_Juliet paced the room back and forth, her suitcases waiting patiently by the door. She blinked back the tears, knowing that this decision was going to hurt for a long time; but there was no getting around it. She was going to take things in stride. She would just have to wait for the pain to go away; that was the price she would have to pay. _

_As she waited for him to come home, she played with the diamond ring on her right hand. The ring. She was not going to hide it in a drawer; she was going to wear it for she had nothing to ashamed of. _

_She didn't know much, but she knew she loved him. And that's all she really needed to know. She didn't care about unanswered questions. All she knew was that he was somewhere out there. _

_She held her breath, as Jack walked in through the front door. She didn't know quite yet where her life was going; but she could not go on pretending._

"_What's this?" Jack looked at the suitcases as though they were accusing him of something. He'd spent all his life with her and now she was leaving? Just like that? _

"_I'm staying with Rachel for a while." she said calmly looking at him straight in the eye._

_Jack frowned, suspicion in his eyes. "Where's David?" _

"_He's at Rachel's" Juliet explained matter of factly, her heart skipping a beat. _

"_You can't do this!" Jack nearly shouted. "We've got to talk about this!"_

"_Of course…but now is not a good time" Juliet said calmly._

_Jack reached for her arm to stop her from walking out the door__**.**_

"_Jack, please…just let me leave now, we can have dinner tomorrow night and we can talk then." She added a touch of maternal like quality to her voice in the hopes of avoiding a struggle._

"_If this is about me working long hours…I can change my schedule, you know…in a few months…" Jack continued, refusing to let go of her arm. _

"_Jack…" Juliet interjected, pulling her arm away in a swift motion. "It's not that…it's just that we've been living in the memory of a love that never was." _

_Jack abruptly stood by the door blocking the way._

"_I've done everything I can, you know…to make you happy, but it's never enough" he said bitterly, __looking right into her Bette Davis eyes. God, why did her eyes have to be so beautiful?_

"_Jack, please!" Juliet pleaded. "I know you're upset right now…let's just both take some time to think…and then we'll talk tomorrow" her voice was soothing, no judgment lacing her words._

_Jack glared at her. How could she do this to him? He'd done nothing but wear his heart on his sleeve. _

_After a long silence, Juliet tried to reach for the door handle. That's when Jack noticed the ring glimmering on her finger as though mocking him with its brightness._

_Jack's eyes blazed. His breathing became rapid and his nostrils flared._

"_Who is he?" Jack demanded, now blocking the door in an even more aggressive manner. _

"_What? There is no he__!**" **__Juliet frowned__**.**_

"_There's gotta be! You're meeting him tonight, right? Jack snapped, clenching his teeth while pointing a finger in her direction in a deliberately slow manner. "That's why you're in such a hurry to leave!" _

"_I'm not meeting anyone!" The muscles in Juliet's face tightened, she was slowly starting to lose her cool demeanor. _

"_Who gave you that ring then? Cause it sure as hell wasn't me!" Jack exclaimed._

"_LET ME GO" Juliet demanded her eyes shooting daggers at him yet her voice remained icy cold. Once again, she attempted to reach for the door handle. She decided she would not bother with her suitcases; she would just leave them behind and come back for them on a different day. _

"_Oh, no! You're not doing this! Jack yelled, rubbing the back of his neck and holding the other hand out in front of him, palm facing her. "You're not going anywhere!"_

* * *

…

1976

She didn't know how long it had been since she had stumbled in through the temple doors; how long since she had been confined to the four corners of what she now thought of as 'her room.'

There was a small table and two chairs in the far corner of said room, and a bed with four tall posts on the other. A number of people came in and out of the room on a regular basis.

Sooner or later someone was going to make a mistake. She was going to bide her time until then.

Juliet grimaced. She had been feeling some contractions for the last few hours, which she hoped were just the false type and not the real deal.

Last thing she wanted was to give birth in this place without James. She didn't know much about their whereabouts; All she knew was that James and Jin were somewhere in the temple for she had overheard conversations in Latin about them.

This woman, Eloise or Ellie as most people called her, came to see her soon her confinement. That first visit, she had come in with a couple of female body guards, to make an impression, she supposed.

Eloise invited Juliet to sit with her at the small table. Juliet had just glared at her, looked away and refused to respond.

Next, Eloise said something in Latin to one of the guards. Juliet's eyes brightened in recognition which did not go unnoticed by Eloise.

"You're one of us, aren't you? Eloise inquired with a half smile, eye lids half closed.

Juliet looked mystified for a moment, and then decided that she would sit at the table with her after all. She needed time to think.

She would not dignify such question with an answer; instead she would ask a question of her own.

"Where are James and Jin?" She had lost count of how many times she had asked without actually receiving a fitting answer.

"They're okay" Eloise leaned back in her wooden chair, her body now further away from the table.

"Why are you doing this?" Juliet clasped her hands together, leaning her whole upper body on the table, to keep herself from squirming as those pesky contractions intensified.

"You're here because Jacob wanted you here" Richard stated, walking into the room.

Jacob? Juliet was tired of having people dropping Jacob's name around as though he was the Messiah. Her eyes met Richard's who undoubtedly was waiting for her to ask who Jacob was; the thing was that he was not supposed to remember her from her future.

Juliet shifted in her seat uncomfortably as another contraction steamrolled into her consciousness. Nonetheless, she tried to hide her pain, and put on a smile as though she actually believed she could just will them away.

Once the pain subsided, she was able to think about the note and the words that Richard wrote…same exact words he had said to her in 2004 prior to her arrival on the island. Coincidence? Could she chalk it up to the fact that Richard's wording was just part of his regular vernacular?

She didn't know much, except that she had to hide her past as an 'Other' from these people. Even if she revealed such past, she doubted that it would get her an out of jail free card.

"Everything happens for a reason, Juliet" Richard said as a way of an explanation. "Why do you think you haven't been able to leave the island?" He let the question hang for a few moments. "You belong to the island… Juliet…..and your baby belongs to the island."

"The island chooses who the island chooses" Eloise echoed in a parrot like fashion.

Juliet felt a lump in her throat. _These people are actually making claims on my baby. _She took a big breath and decided she was not going to give them the satisfaction of knowing that they got to her somehow.

"I don't believe in destiny" Juliet blurted out. She ran her hand through her hair, surprised at her own choice of words. Since when did she go around quoting Jack of all people? Jack. The same Jack that had been all too quick to hop on that helicopter and leave her behind, the same Jack who had ditched his promise of getting her off the island.

An all powerful contraction suddenly made her jolt in her seat and whimper. She bit her lip furiously. Richard and Eloise were staring at her curiously; dammit, there was no way she was going to be able to hide this.

Eloise insisted on getting her to lie down; while Juliet resisted for she feared that this would put her in a vulnerable position and she still had hopes to be able to escape somehow.

The contractions became so unbearably close together that she felt as though they were only two seconds apart. In a state of panic, she realized that her worst nightmare was actually becoming true, as a team of people were suddenly intent on pulling her down onto the bed.

Next thing she knew someone was sticking a needle into her arm. It only took a minute for wooziness to crush her will to pieces. As though it was happening to someone else, she watched someone fasten each one her limp wrists through a loop and then tie the other end of the rope to the bed posts.

"We just don't want you trying to get up at a critical time" a strangely soothing voice told her. "You'll start feeling sleepy real soon, but we never really know how long it's gonna last…..It's just a precaution…. we might have to do a c-section."

"Might? She's gonna be completely out" another voice said. "We're gonna have to do it, period."

Then, she felt Eloise smooth her hair into a pony tail to pull it away from her face while speaking softly a few words that Juliet was not able to understand.

Juliet blinked several times, desperately trying to fight sleep. "James" she whimpered, a silent tear rolling down her cheek, the physical pain blissfully gone.

And that was the last thing she remembered.

* * *

….

_Turning away from the door, Juliet took a deep breath; bit her lower lip, slowly letting air out. Her first reaction would have been to struggle against him for she hated feeling trapped. Running a hand through her hair, she tried to collect her thoughts._

_She considered her options. She could get angry and maybe threaten to call the police, but if she went down that road, things could really get out of control and there would be no turning back. It would be a definite goodbye to an amicable separation. Her relationship with Jack would never be the same and David would for sure suffer the consequences._

_On the other hand, if she just decided to stay and talk things over, there was still a good chance that Jack would just come to his senses. _

_Juliet turned to face him, making a conscious effort to keep her emotions in check. She took a step back and froze. She was taken aback by Jack's sudden display of tears._

"_Just give me one more chance" he pleaded, stepping closer to bridge the distance between them. All he ever wanted was to be the perfect doctor, perfect husband, perfect father. But something's gotta give, he now realized; he just hoped it was not too late. "One more night, just you and me" his voice trembled, leaning in to breathe down her ear. A second later his lips were lightly nibbling her earlobe._

"_Jack!" Juliet pushed the palms of her hands out against his chest. _

"_Let me show you…." He cupped her face in his hands, his eyes filled with tears. Now that his dreams were so beaten and battered, he could finally see what really mattered. "Let me show you how much I love you" he whispered, now kissing her earlobe and the back of her neck. _

_She became all too aware that even though at this point she could have easily slipped away from him, she was truly bound by sensations beyond her control which had been buried somewhere deep in her soul. Her entire body was now trembling; fear and excitement merged into one while he continued kissing her in all the places she liked, his tears now intermingling with hers._

"_No…" she said weakly, as his lips insistently parted hers, holding her the way she liked to be held. _

_Juliet drew in a series of agonized gasps and surrendered to his kiss, a pool salty of tears assaulting all her senses. _

_His kiss was like a wild roar from a lion which had missed more than his fair share of meals. He had never kissed her like this; in all the time she had known him, his kisses had been so gentle as though he had considered her to be a delicate China doll. This fiery passion was something new altogether; thus she found herself literally swept off her feet. _

_The next morning, as she lay in bed next to Jack, Juliet knew she would need to stay at least until she could figure out a better way. That was the only choice she could make._

* * *

1976

Juliet woke up with a start.

The details of the delivery were fuzzy at best. First thing, she heard someone announce that it was a boy. Then, a pillow was placed behind her head to raise her head higher as another pair of hands brought her baby to lie on her chest. For a few fleeting moments, she got to stroke his little cheek, count his incredibly tiny toes and run her fingertips through his very long blond hair. _Perfectly perfect in every way_. Juliet smiled softly, thinking his hair was extremely long for a newborn. And she thought of James…and she said his name. ..and then, she felt yet another needle on her arm.

She did not remember anything else after that.

Presently, Juliet's head turned to look at the little bassinet beside her bed. To her dismay, it was empty. _Where's my baby? _Juliet gasped, holding her breath.

She made an attempt to get out of bed but stopped when she felt acute ache in the middle of her lower abdomen.

"You're not supposed to get up…you've had a lot of bleeding. You don't want to make it worse, do you?" one of the women questioned.

"Gotta wait for Eloise to give the okay" the other woman said.

"Where's my baby?" Juliet choked a cry in her throat, fearing the worst.

"Ellie is bathing him" said the first woman. "She'll be back soon" she tried to reassure her while handing her a glass of juice.

She wanted to refuse, but then she couldn't remember when was the last time she had had anything to eat or drink. It must have been an awful long time ago for her throat felt awfully perched. So she drank the juice in two big gulps.

Once again she tried getting out of bed; this time by pushing the women out of the way with unexpected strength. She was going to find this Ellie herself and get her baby back! Juliet flinched as soon as her feet touched the floor, her hand automatically going to her abdomen where she felt a large bandage running in a vertical line. That's when she learned that she had been given a C-section. She winced again. These vertical incisions took longer to heal yet were generally favored by doctors with less experience.

Juliet stumbled, her head spinning fast. The women were quick to ease her back in bed. Drowsiness came as soon as her head hit the pillow; nonetheless, she tried her darndest to fight off sleep by blinking furiously and refusing to shut her eyes. By now, she should know better than go around drinking orange juice that 'Others' gladly bestowed upon her!

A couple of hours later, Juliet stirred, and opened her eyes.

The door to the room was now wide open, as though no one expected her to escape anymore. She had to find her baby…and James and Jin.

The logical part of her brain reasoned that getting up and about, although noble and brave, would get her nowhere and render her useless. Wandering about like that could open up her stitches and make things worse.

On the other hand, golden opportunities were hard to come by. There was only one woman keeping watch over her now; she was sitting in a chair next to her bed and engrossed in a book. Seizing her chance, Juliet launched herself forward, pressing her fingers as hard as possible at the woman's throat, in the space between her Adam's apple and the top of the breastbone. As the woman stumbled, Juliet got to her feet and further pressed her knuckles against her throat until she fell to the ground gasping for air.

Even though every step she took made the site of her incision ache, Juliet knew she had no choice now but to keep going. Thus, she straightened down the long nightgown she was wearing and moved even faster than common sense would dictate given her condition, as she ventured out the door.


	18. One of Them, One of Us

**A/N: **Special thanks to** Koralina, Sammifm1, **and** Serendipidity Cullen **for taking the time to answer my survey question: How do you see James reacting in X situation.

This chapter picks up exactly where Chapter 16 (Special) left off.

One of Them, One of Us

_Wh…what?_ He heard the words. _Child. Baptism. Special._ But his brain became incredibly sluggish, processing the information as though it had been presented in a second language that he somehow understood but never quite mastered to the point of fluency.

The adrenaline rush which had motivated his actions earlier during their escape was now nothing more than a memory.

He had some awareness of the men behind him unnecessarily restraining his arms. Yet, he couldn't have moved, even if he had wanted to. His mouth was outrageously dry, his mind numb and the rest of his body in a state of immobility.

James had never been particularly religious, and even if he had been, this whole baptism issue was unacceptable.

_Juliet…she would have never allowed this…not without herself being present._

_Gotta do something. For her. For Juliet…_

_How would he ever face her again, tell her that he stood by and did nothing?_

_The gun…had it, lost it… _He wished he had it now.

Fueled by the thought that he had to do something, James took the two guys behind him by surprise, elbowing them in the gut in one swift motion. His second move was to step forward and punch Richard in the face. His third move was to get past Richard to where Eloise was standing with the baby.

Except that he never made it to his second move. Right then, James heard a thundering sound that stopped him in his tracks. Certain that it was a gunshot, he looked down at himself first and then turned behind him towards Jin.

He didn't know which was more astonishing: that both Jin and himself were unharmed or what immediately followed.

Still wondering if indeed that deafening sound had been a gunshot, James squinted his eyes and shook his head, _surely his eyes were playing tricks on him, right? No, no, this ain't right…John Locke can't just show up like that….it must be he was losing his Goddamn marbles…lack of sleep, being doped up, not eatin' for 3 days can do that to ya… _

"James, Richard, Jin…nice to see you again" Said Locke with a wide smile, Locke made his grand entrance; walking over to stand in the middle of the Spring room, surveying everything around him. Clearly enjoying being the center of attention, he smirked tilting his head towards Richard. "You still have the compass I gave you?"

Richard furrowed his brow. Of course… indeed he remembered John Locke giving him the compass back in 1954. How could he possibly forget this man…this man who had vanished into thin air right before his eyes, after making claims of being their leader and confusing the heck out of him.

In the future, Richard (original owner of the compass) himself had told Locke:_"Next time we see each other, I'm not gonna recognize you, alright? You give me this"_ (referring to the compass). Richard had no recollection of this part yet since it happened in their future…although, technically their future was really their past…( DISCLAIMER: For the record, I did not write this part of the plot, rather ALL the credit thankfully belongs to Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. I'm merely reporting the facts here).

"A little rusty, but she can still find north" Richard replied.

Richard felt completely at odds with himself. He swallowed hard, knowing that his people were looking at him for guidance, wondering if they should shoot this new arrival? They all wondered. You see, this group of Others was not the same group from the 2000's, so they really did not recognize John Locke as any kind of leader.

"John" Locke heard James say in a way that sounded odd and unfamiliar. After all, he was not used to Sawyer calling him by his first name. It was always 'Locke' or by any other name. Brutus, Daniel Boone, Colonel Kurtz or Tarzan. "_Mr. Clean, All you need's an earring and a mop. _Locke himself had laughed at this last reference. Come to think of it, he had been the only one of the survivors with a healthy sense of humor. Indeed.

Locke smiled broadly, clearly enjoying his center stage status. "James" he muttered. Oh, how he enjoyed calling him by his given name (even though to Locke he would always be Sawyer) knowing full well how much James actually disliked it. _The good ole days!_ How much fun he'd had with that back in the day…

"How did he get in here?" one of the Others raised his weapon and pointed it at Locke.

"Don't" Richard warned. "He's…one of us" he found himself saying much to his own astonishment.

"I think you're confused here, Hoss" James said to Richard. "He's really one of us" he quickly added, recognizing that making a claim to Locke's loyalties was definitely his best card in ensuring everyone's survival.

Locke smiled, not really staking exclusive membership with either club.

James and Richard sized each other up with open animosity. Richard's thick set eyebrows gave his face a menacing look even though the rest of his face was devoid of strong emotions. In turn, James showed a deep set of frown lines between his eyebrows combined with death stare that could kill a giant. Everything was at stake here. Whoever won Locke's favor would have the upper hand.

"What are you doing here, John?" Richard asked carefully.

"Where in the world have you been?" James asked.

"Been trying to get the Oceanic six to come back…or the five, I mean" Locke said. "They've been a stubborn bunch" he sighed.

"That's all?" James asked, thinking that something about this story did not really add up. What did Locke really do the rest of the time he was not visiting the Oceanic six (or five)? Sit around watching TV? Huge blocks of time unaccounted for…although, he supposed Locke could have been marking some time in the mad house.

"You mean the four of them" Jin interjected, a little late in the game, referring to Sun not coming back to the island. After all, Locke had promised Jin not to bring Sun back.

"Uh…yeah, right…..except Sun" Locke agreed with a smile. "Don't worry, Jin…she's fine and your daughter too" he confirmed, glad to be the bearer of good news.

Jin sighed with relief. He never trusted the old man much, but what the heck, he desperately needed to believe him….so he did.

This was Locke's great opportunity to play his best role yet. "One of us, one of them" to both groups and somehow win either way. He felt victorious, like that time in the jungle when he had predicted rain and it did! Boone had been quite impressed! And Locke had raised his hands up in the air forever grateful to the Almighty for this great chance to show off.

"What are you doing here, John? Richard asked, mildly irritated that Locke had ignored his question the first time. He clearly remembered their conversation back in 1954 about the Jughead bomb, and wondered what other cards Locke had up his sleeve.

Locke turned to look at James and noticed how three men where holding him down whereas the guards around Jin seemed less forceful. "You're gonna have to let him go…." Locke stated matter of factly, referring to James.

"And why would I do that?" Richard asked somewhat amused.

"Cause…he's one of my people…" Locke smirked.

"I thought you were one of us" Richard smirked back. Two could play this game.

"Yeah…right…isn't it beautiful? "Locke was truly proud of himself. "I'm one of them too" he added casting sideway glances at both James and Jin as if he was merely the neutral host of a game show. "So…you gotta let them go … the thing is that Jacob sent me"

Richard pursed his lips. Of course he was going to let them go, but in his own timing. On the other hand, he knew exactly who John Locke was. Yet he silently motioned to his men to back off which was interpreted by everyone as tacit agreement.

James and Jin exhaled in relief in unison. They weren't about to look at their gift horse in the mouth.

James heard Hugo's voice in his head saying: _"Finally, dude!"_ cause someone had to say it, and Hugo sure wasn't there…

"Juliet…she… " James started.

"Juliet's here too?" Locke tilted his head, eyes narrowed.

"Yeah…and their baby too" Jin asserted quickly, looking at James.

At once, James turned to look where Eloise had been standing with the baby last time he looked which had been like…a couple of minutes…five minutes ago? He bit his lip mortified.

"Where's the baby?" James clenched his teeth and took a few steps towards Richard in a menacing way. He was barely aware of the fact that Richard's men no longer were forcibly restraining him. Apparently, he was now allowed to roam free.

"Eloise took him back…to Juliet" Richard replied nonchalantly, still mostly interested in Locke.

James relaxed a bit even though he was still distrustful of Richard.

"A baby?" Locke turned to James. "Looks like you'd been quite 'busy' while I was gone" his smirk turned into a wide smile. "My man, my man of many names… you were always popular with the ladies, weren't you?

_It's not like that!_ James wanted to say, but they didn't have time for chitchat. They had to get to Juliet and get out of this place while Richard seemed somewhat cooperative.

"Huh…there is just one little problem" Richard said, almost as an after thought.

Everyone said: _and what is that? _In their heads, not out loud.

"How do we know that you're not sending your people over here as soon as you make it back there?" Richard stated, staring poker-faced at James and Jin.

James and Jin exchanged looks with each other and then with Locke who seemed only mildly interested in this part of the negotiation.

James sighed. _Oh, yeah…he doesn't know we're in 1976 and with the Dharma Initiative…_ but then again, Locke probably knew more than what they were giving him credit for. After all, he had not asked them about their jumpsuit attire, so he had probably figured this out himself.

"We'll send nobody! We won't even say we were here" James quickly re-assured him. Their capture would be the easiest way to explain their absence once they got back to the barracks. For once, the truth may actually be their salvation. So, why? Why would he agree to keep everything under wraps? Because otherwise there were no guarantees they would ALL make it out of this place in one piece even with Locke's intervention.

Richard seemed pleased. "Good, we only wanted to help you…" he said nodding his head, expecting his people to nod back in agreement.

"Yeah, yeah, as a matter of fact, thanks for welcoming us to the island, Mr. Roarke. Couldn't have asked for a better reception…" _gotta admit, dude looks quite dandy for the part of Mr. Roarke bushy brows and all_, And he laughed, a sneering horse laugh, imagining Richard as the host of an episode of _Fantasy Island_, 'the enigmatic overseer of a mysterious island' with his all too sappy fakey smile. Too bad Fantasy Island hadn't aired until 1978. One of life's greatest injustices! What a damn shame!To have to wait such a long time before Richard could catch the reference….

_Knock it off! _James shook his head, as if physically shaking such thoughts off his mind. He needed to focus back on Juliet and the baby. Even though things were looking good, he could never be completely sure, not until he'd seen Juliet with his own eyes. _Never count your chicks before they hatch.._.

Richard narrowed his eyes and gave James a skeptical look. _Mr. who? What did he just call me?_ He was convinced that this was just a tactic to throw him off his game.

Jin who had been standing by quietly all this time, turned to Richard and asked: "who are you guys anyway?"

"We're the good guys" Richard declared, looking at the sea of faces of his people.

**A/N:** We're a little more than half way through this story; chapter 31 will be the final one. Also, we're getting really, really close to that courthouse chapter. So stay tuned! Thanks for reading.


	19. Thank You, Lord

**A/N: **1) Serendipity Cullen: Thanks for your help proofreading.

2) Song: Lady in Red. I tweaked the lyrics a bit and adapted them to the story.

* * *

Thank You, Lord (and This Time He's Not Taking it Back)

The three of them were escorted to a more secluded area, away from the courtyard which resembled a cave/tunnel with an open entrance and an exit. It had open access to corridors that led to other areas of the temple. There, they were served some drinks and a whole platter of fruits and cheese by four Others who later remained standing by each arched doorway.

Locke watched James and Jin eating ravenously with a smirk on his face. Sensing that James was still worried, he walked over to him and said, "I believe I can save us" while resting a hand on his shoulder.

James nearly flinched at Locke's touch, as his nerves felt on edge. Earlier, Richard had mentioned that someone would be coming to usher him to see Juliet. Of course, he wasn't about to trust that sonofabitch! Even though Locke seemed to think that Richard was gonna come through.

Much to their own astonishment, the Others returned their walkies although not their weapons. Thus, Jin was able to contact Miles. Things were definitely looking up now that Miles was on his way. Still, James couldn't completely let his guard down.

* * *

"Come this way…she's waiting for you" an older woman told James in a neutral tone of voice, holding the door open to a room down the hallway which was within plain view from where they were all gathered.

_Really? The whole time she has really been only two steps away?_ James looked at Locke and Jin who nodded their heads encouragingly.

"Go ahead…we'll be right here" Locke re-assured him.

The woman motioned towards the room with a wave her of her hand as she stood out of the way. As James stepped forward, he nearly bumped into Eloise Hawking who stormed out of the room in an agitated manner. Their eyes met for a few seconds as they evaluated each other. _Do I know you?_ Eloise definitely did not remember him from their encounter in 1954. James on the other hand, slowly recognized her features although she had been a young girl back then.

His eyes met Juliet's as soon as he walked into the room. She was lying in bed holding their baby in her arms. He would never forget the way she looked, so placid and bright as though she was sixteen all over again. Oh, and those highlights…those highlights in her hair did catch her eyes.

_There's nobody here, just you and me._

For a moment, he wondered if they experienced a time shift even though there were no flashes.

Juliet's lips and cheeks were flushed with a healthy rosy glow, which made her entire face brighten in a way he's never seen before. Oh, and that smiled that reached her eyes at the sight of him certainly did not give any indication she had been through any kind of ordeal…such as being captured or giving birth for that matter.

When she turned to him and smiled, it took his breath away. What if she was a mirage that would disappear as soon as he got near?

He swallowed the lump in his throat as he knelt down by the bed. At once, he kissed her smiling lips, his fingertips stroking her cheek, taking in the smoothness and dampness of her freshly showered skin. He'd never had such a feeling before, such a feeling of complete and UTTER LUCK.

Their eyes locked for the longest time, having their own little silent conversation in the midst of more smiles and quiet laughter.

As if not wanting to be left out of all the excitement, the baby started making low pitched noises.

It was the most amazing feeling seeing his child's face for the first time. He tried to take it all in, tried to memorize every feature, every detail. _Is this for real? Is he finally here?_ And he knows its silly cause he has known of the baby's birth for at least an hour.

Suddenly, it hit him like a ton of bricks! _This is my son_…and he felt completely at a loss. _My son needs a father_…like a real father…not him. No, no, not him! He was too messed up to be anyone's father. _Remember Clementine?_

James blinked rapidly. The lump in his throat re-appeared. Because this was really the first time that it dawned on him that he now had a child, a living breathing child that he could physically touch; he realized in amazement as his fingers, which seemed giant-like in comparison, brushed the child's teensy fingers.

"Oh…James…isn't he perfect?" Juliet said in a singsong voice and a twinkle in her eyes.

_He is perfect._ And he is looking directly at James with those vivacious blue eyes, and he thinks they are just like Juliet's…. and he thinks he sees tiny little dimples on his cheeks.

For months, he had thought about this moment; sometimes with excitement and sometimes with apprehension. Yet, nothing had indeed prepared him for this moment.

His lips sought hers again. This time it was a kiss of absolute joy, like finding an unexpected present underneath the Christmas tree on Christmas day.

"You're okay, everything is gonna be okay" James finally found his voice. He was gonna make sure they would never get separated like this again.

"Can't believe you're finally here!" Juliet exclaimed as though a huge weight was being lifted off her shoulders. Then, a somber look crossed her face. "What's happening? Are they going to let us go?" she asked almost afraid to break the magic spell they were under.

He had some recollection of someone telling him something about Juliet trying to escape and how now she needed to be under bed rest. When? Who told him? Maybe he misunderstood? His mind was in a bit of a fog. He just needed some sleep. Still, somehow, he had to bring Juliet up to speed as to everything that had happened.

* * *

An hour later…

The baby had nestled peacefully in his daddy's arms as he was rocked to sleep in the rocking chair that one of the Others had graciously brought into the room. For a second, James who by now was used to people coming in and out was surprised to see that it was Miles instead of one of the Others staring at him curiously from across the room.

With a start, he realized that he had dozed off. For how long? He couldn't have helped it as his body became one with the chair, nearly forgetting who these people were… _They're just people…_

Both men were glad to see each other; but also mindful of not showing too much emotion. A brief smile of recognition crossed their faces.

Miles hesitated to approach him. Awkward. Juliet was asleep in the bed next to him. In this setting, his buddy Jim seemed oddly unfamiliar to him as though he was a creature from another planet. Too much sappiness. Images of Mr. Cleaver from _Leave it to Beaver_ came to mind. Definitely not the coolest guy in his book. Way too domesticated! He was never gonna get seriously involved with anyone and if he ever did, he for sure as hell was not going to have any kids. Ever.

"You're just gonna stand there, Enos?" James sneered.

Miles cleared his throat. "Glad you're all okay, man." he said trying his darndest not to look at the infant. It was like when he was afraid of getting 'the cooties' way back in grade school. If you stand too close to someone with the cooties, then your life might as well be over. You'd be ostracized for life. Not that it ever happened to Miles. No way. No.

"Your…uh…baby" Miles started, giving James a slight sort of congratulatory slap in the shoulder. He immediately backed away. _The cooties…_

James chuckled. "Yeah…thanks…"

"Something's wrong with this picture" Miles shook his head. "Out there…I was greeted by Jin, Locke and Richard…all chatting like good ol' buddies…" Plus this place really gave him the creeps. No, he was not going to relax until they were safely miles away in their cozy Dharmaville as LaFleur liked to call it.

James was not really much paying attention to Miles. Too much information. Besides, the baby was now awake and this was his first time holding a newborn. One of the Others who apparently had been assigned the role of Juliet's nurse had instructed him earlier on how to hold the baby's head. "You must support it at all times" she had admonished him.

"I said to be careful, but never did I say he was made out of paper" the so-called nurse snickered.

James had been too absorbed in the task to glare at her or make any snarky remarks.

Presently, James sized up Miles and asked the only question he could think of asking. "Did Horace or anyone else find out that you were coming?"

"Nah. I was careful" Miles boasted.

Juliet stirred and opened her eyes. A big smile came upon her when she saw James holding the baby. Then, her eyes widened when she saw Miles.

"Congratulations!" Miles hastily said to Juliet, as if he was a game show contestant shouting an answer before anyone else could beat him to it. Poor Jim and Juliet. Their lives were officially over. Nothing but responsibilities and growing old. That's all there was in store for them. Yikes! So complete and OUT of luck.

"Thanks, Miles" Juliet smiled and turned her attention back on the baby.

Miles did not appreciate the silence that followed for it made him feel uncomfortable. He was trying hard not to stare at them as James transferred the infant into Juliet's arms.

Wait! Panic hit Miles with unbelievable force! Oh, no! Was she going to nurse the little thing? Oh, God, NO! He couldn't be caught looking! Dammit! Where was he supposed to look? At her face? Yeah…at her face?

Miles decided it was best to inspect his feet. However, he could not do that forever. When he looked up again all he saw was the baby's bare feet and a blanket draping over his head. Well, okay…so he couldn't see her bosom. But hey, he totally knew she was nursing. Heck! He knew!

"So…what's his name? Miles asked in an attempt to break the silence.

James and Juliet exchanged knowing looks.

"J" James quickly replied.

"James" Juliet said almost in unison.

"Okay…well…which one is it Jay or James?" Miles was thoughtful for a moment. "By the way, is Jay short for Jayson spelled J-a-y-s-o-n?"

"No…no" Juliet interjected narrowing her eyes. That was the wrong spelling for Jason.

"NO, Smarty Pants, it's just "J" as in the letter "J" James snarled.

"Wait…wait, let me get this straight" Miles did a little dramatic theatrical exaggerated look of astonishment. "You're naming your child JUST "J" …JUST a letter?"

"Listen, Mr. Drama Queen…we will just call him "J" to avoid any confusion with my name…" James stood up and stretched his legs. He was now standing close to Miles.

Miles chuckled. "That should be fun…like if he's ever in a National spelling bee, you know. He'll hear his name every time someone spells a word with that letter in it…"

Juliet took the baby off her breast, put him on her shoulder and started burping him. Then, after she heard the sound she was looking for, she put him on her other breast as though she had done this a million times.

"Oh, Miles, get over yourself, will you?!" Juliet chuckled, as the baby settled in. "Don't be such a prude!" There had hardly been any part of her breasts exposed, as she had seamlessly transitioned from one breast to the other.

"You know you're screwed, right?" Miles whispered to James in a sort of secret way. "Ever wonder how's having a kid gonna affect your sex life? I mean…really?"

"Shut up!" James muttered between his teeth, giving Miles a punch in the shoulder. The truth was that such thought had already crossed his mind. ..Especially after reading all those child birth books of hers. Yep, he couldn't help but wonder if she was EVER going to feel up to it again.

James turned to look at Juliet with a puppy eyed/guilty look on his face. Here she was, just given birth to this most perfect child after nine months of hauling around all that extra weight and constant need to pee… and here he was thinking about sex. Men. No wonder some women thought they were nothing but a bunch of selfish bastards. For once, he had to agree.

Miles rubbed his shoulder and glared at James. "What's the deal with the "J" names any way?" he pouted. Everywhere he looked he seemed to be surrounded by J names.

"Excuse me?" James frowned.

"Well… Y'all "J's should consider that…gee, there are actually other letters in our alphabet…" said Miles. _Like M's…'M' is a perfectly fine letter. _

Miles looked away when James leaned over affectionately to kiss Juliet who by now had the baby asleep in her arms. He would take that as his cue to get out. Not that he needed any incentives. He would be more than happy to just wait outside the room where everyone else seemed to be gathered…and leave those two in la- la land.

Miles opened the door and quickly closed it. Then, he took a deep breath, as he turned around with a blank look on his face.

"What's wrong?" James demanded harshly. "What did you see out there?"

**A/N**: I really enjoyed writing this chapter :) Hope you enjoyed it!


	20. Some of Us Are Meant to Be Alone

**A/N: **1) **In this chapter: Sideways (starts exactly where chapter 17 left off) and post-island story lines (Chapter 15). **2) Song: _Carry On_ by FUN (post-island story line). 3) IMPORTANT to note: David and James, Jr (Aka J) ARE NOT the same person!

4) This is chapter 20! The other day, someone reminded me that chapter 20 was supposed to be the final chapter! The original version of this story (written last year) was only 20 chapters long. But I got 10 additional chapters outlined thus far, and I'm currently working on perhaps including additional ones. Thus, some chapters will necessarily take longer to write than others.

Some of Us Are Meant to be Alone

_Juliet took a moment to take off her diamond ring and carefully set it down on the corner of her dark granite counter-top. She was about to rinse the dishes off in the sink and then hand them over to her friend Diana to load in the dishwasher. Juliet was glad to have a quiet moment with Diana away from Jack and Ron (Diana's husband). Although she enjoyed entertaining, tonight she was feeling out of sorts. It had been a while since the last time she and Jack had had dinner together let alone entertained in their home. _

"_Still, if you ever need to…you can feel free to borrow our attorney, Juliet" Diana said reassuringly, as she loaded a few dishes into the dishwasher._

"_Thanks, but I think that will not be necessary. Jack and I can use Stuart." Juliet paused to collect her thoughts. "After all, there's nothing in dispute. He has his money and I have mine…"_

"_How about David?" Diana asked, raising one eyebrow and looking at her out of the corner of her eye, still busy with the dishes._

_Juliet sighed. David. Her heart pounded faster at the sound of his name. The hardest part was not the loneliness that was sure to follow once she and Jack parted ways. Rather, it was that nagging feeling of depriving David out of an intact family. But she simply could not go on anymore. _

"_Jack can see David whenever he is available." Juliet dried off her hands after she handed Diana the last dish. _

_Diana shook her head. "Now, Juliet…take it from somebody who's been there…It's NEVER that easy."_

"_I don't intend to ever interfere with Jack's relationship with David" Juliet affirmed, retrieving the ring and sliding it back on her finger._

"_Oh, I'm not doubting that" Diana was quick to reply. "It's just that from a realistic point of view, it is best to have a set visitation schedule. Otherwise, you'll have Jack over whenever he wants? That's going to interfere with any future relationship of yours, you know." Diana closed the dishwasher and pushed the start button._

_Juliet nodded slightly. Even though she did not say another word, she made a mental note to give some serious thought to Diana's words. _

"_Oh, I almost forgot dessert" Diana said as she reached for the Crème Brule she had brought to share. After serving four dessert plates and setting them in a serving tray, they headed to the living room where Jack and Ron were sitting on opposite ends of a fancy couch._

_Juliet's ears perked up at the mention of the words 'sizable donation' and asked what they were talking about. _

"_I was telling Jack how our Madeline got accepted into St. Mary's Academy" Ron informed them with a smile. "That interview was really something, wasn't it, Dear?" he winked at his wife._

_Juliet and Diana sat directly across from their respective husbands._

"_Yeah…we were told that there were 50 other families before us on their waitlist. We had no idea…can you imagine? After being forever on their list! Twenty two months to be exact" Diana sighed and ran her hand through her hair as though re-telling the story was just as exhausting as the actual interview. "Then, when the conversation shifted to their plans for a new playground…." _

_Jack and Juliet exchanged looks._

"_Anyway, I would suggest that you apply right away if you want David to get a spot" Diana urged them._

"_Oh, Diana…" Juliet sighed. "David is only 18 months old" she said in a slow, dispassionate tone. Then, she turned to her husband. "It's a little too early to be thinking of schooling for him, don't you think, Jack? _

_Jack pursed his lips. "David is special and he deserves the best opportunities we can give him…and it sounds like St. Mary's would be the place for him to get the best education" Jack declared as though he was giving a persuasive speech to a large audience while looking at no one in particular. _

_Using her spoon, Juliet broke the top layer of the crispy crust of her dessert into the pudding, effectively blending away the chunks of caramel that she so loved, and thus making her dessert less appetizing. Then set it aside without taking a bite._

"_We should have applied yesterday, actually" Jack added giving Juliet a quizzical look. _

_Juliet decided that it was best to ignore that. She rolled her shoulders back slightly in an attempt to release some of the tension and then, dug into her Crème Brule with renewed passion. Lastly, she excused herself in order to check on David and Madeline who were playing in the next room under the watchful eye of Diana's 15 year old daughter._

_When eventually Juliet came back to re- join the group, she realized that she was walking into the middle of a conversation which she had no idea how it had started. _

"_I read in Newsweek that eye rolling in a marriage is one of the best predictors of divorce" Ron grinned in an amused tone of voice._

"_Actually Dear, this is no longer a tabloid fact. It's been proven in a large longitudinal study that followed a representative sample of couples….." Diana paused to make sure she had everyone's undivided attention. "I read it in a psychology journal."_

Nice Diana, make sure you remind us all that you're a renowned psychologist_, Jack said to himself, pursing his lips and looking away to hide his disdain. After all, psychology was a 'soft science', nothing like Medicine which was based on absolute facts. _

_"So how about a game of Pictionary? The Robinsons against the Shephards" Ron said to Jack. "Oh...and the loser is not allowed to roll their eyes," he chirped with a wink to his wife._

_Jack couldn't help but to roll his eyes. Ron was such an idiot._

_Diana reached for the handmade laminate cards which she carried in her purse, and spread them out on the coffee table. She chose the category of idioms. _

_Juliet smiled in agreement and left to retrieve a medium sized dry erase board from the kitchen. Then, she set it at an angle on top of a tall bar stool that Jack brought in from their bar on the other side of the room. _

_Diana and Ron happily went over the rules of the game as they sat side by side on the couch, while Juliet settled comfortably in an armchair nearby. _

_The object of the game was for each team to guess as many words as possible with the aid of hand drawn sketches only; no letters, numbers or spoken words allowed. _

_Jack was unanimously selected as the one to draw the pictures; even though this made the two teams a little unbalanced in numbers, as Juliet was the only one guessing for their team. Still he was confident they would win. _

_After the first few rounds, Diana and Ron were ahead. _

_It soon became evident that drawing was not Jack's strong suit (he didn't spend much time drawing in med school). Jack's heart pounded just a tad faster and his hands started getting sweaty. He didn't know why he cared so much. He shook his head, he needed to focus. The next card read : Water under the bridge. As soon as the timer was set, he started drawing a bridge and a few squiggly lines underneath the bridge to represent water._

"_Water under the bridge!" Juliet answered at once._

_Easy as pie, Jack was on a roll now. The score was evenly tied! He felt like giving Juliet a high five, but he settled instead for a big smile which she reciprocated. In some ways, Juliet was just as competitive as he was, he decided._

"_Last round!" Ron announced._

_Jack reached into the bag holding the cards and quickly pulled one out. His eyes widened. "Damn!" he mumbled under his breath, his fingers clutching the card a little too long._

_A chip on your shoulder, the card read. Jack started drawing a person focusing on the upper body and drawing an arrow pointing to the shoulder. Now, the trick was to draw something to represent a chip. First, he drew a dot._

_At this point, Diana, Ron and Juliet were all guessing wildly…shoulder, something to do with the shoulder…a weight off your shoulder! what's that? A piece of lint? Uh…uh…a mole!…a birthmark! _

_Suddenly, David and Madeline ran into the far corner of the room, outside of Jack's line of vision, full of laughter and giggles. _

_Juliet's eyes were immediately drawn to the children. Her jaw dropped as David cupped the little girl's face with both hands and kissed her squarely on the lips. So she did what any mother with a cell phone at her fingertips would do: she pulled it out of her pocket at lighting speed and snapped a series of snapshots. She needed to capture every milestone, every special moment in her son's life. _

_Jack kept on drawing, refusing to be sidetracked. He was to stop only when the timer went off. Ron and Diana guessed correctly and won the game. _

_Jack __felt a rush of warmth to his face. __He could just picture Diana who worked at St. Sebastian's as a grief counselor, telling everyone how they beat the Shephards at a stupid game of Pictionary._

_Ron and Diana became uncomfortably aware of Jack's reaction. In an attempt to mitigate the tension in the air, Diana asked to see the pictures that Juliet had snapped. "Oh, that is the cutest thing!" she sighed, holding out her cell phone. "Oh, Juliet, you gotta send them to me!"_

_He didn't have to say a word, it was written all over his face. _You don't give a damn, do you_? Jack wailed to himself, rolling his eyes at Juliet. _

* * *

_**2015**_

**11:25 a.m. **

_**She**_ was already in the courtroom when he walked in.

His eyes deadlocked with the blonde woman standing next to opposing counsel, as soon as he set foot inside the courtroom. It never ceased to amaze him how much her hair looked just like Juliet's, the length and exact coloring… everything. For some reason he had always loved it whenever Juliet wore her hair like that: glass-like smooth and perfectly straight. The resemblance was so striking as though _she_ had ever seen a picture of Juliet and purposely styled her hair in the same way. Yet, she couldn't have…no, _she_ couldn't have ever seen a picture cause he had never shown her any to begin with.

Two and a half years earlier….

James met her at a bar, nearly five years after the incident. As though he had been propelled by a bullet, he approached her, his eyes fixated on her hair. He sat next to her at the counter facing the bartender, while she had her back to him. For a couple of minutes, he fantasized that this girl was indeed Juliet. He could barely mask his disappointment when she finally turned around to face him.

She had oval shaped hazel eyes, hot pink lips, and evenly toned _CoverGirl _makeup that somehow still appeared natural.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he quickly asked, hoping to hide the way he had been staring at her.

"Sure" she smiled warmly, turning her whole body towards him. "I'm Lisa, by the way," she did not offer him her hand.

"James" he mumbled, his eyes wandering about his surroundings.

She ordered a fruit flavored margarita and he ordered scotch on the rocks.

"You sure don't talk much, do you?" she observed after a long silence.

James shrugged. He really did not feel like engaging in any chitchat. He rarely came to bars anymore precisely because of this, but this had been a particularly bad week. He just wanted a drink, maybe watch the game on the screen, do some people watching. Invariably though, some woman would notice him in spite of the "stay away" vibes he normally sent; they simply assumed that if he was at a bar, he MUST be looking for some action.

"So what's eating you?" Her eyes shamelessly scrutinized him.

He glanced at her for a moment, and then sipped his drink. Now he wanted to leave. He looked around for a quick exit.

"There is a gay bar down on Broadway, you know…I've been told it has the best happy hour specials," she said with a straight face. "It's a little hard to find, it's neatly tucked in behind this alley, but if you have navigation…" she took a tiny sip of her drink. "I can also show you how to get there…" she added with a winning smile.

James couldn't help but grin back, making full eye contact.

Lisa peered at his phone which was sitting on the counter to the side of his drink. "I do a lot of driving you know, I can help you with your navigation…you gotta set it up to avoid certain toll roads…"

"So, you come here often?" he interjected, now with some interest, still on the fence as to whether or not to avoid this particular bar.

"Just on Fridays after work" she replied regarding him with a long flirty look.

He came back to the same bar the following Friday.

"Ah, there you are." Lisa, who was sitting in the exact same area, greeted him with a radiant smile. Let's cut to the chase then, your place or mine?" she boldly asked.

He didn't answer; instead he asked her if she wanted the same drink as last time. She nodded. Then, he turned to the bartender and ordered.

"Look, I ain't lookin' for a relationship" he stated after a while.

"So you came back…to tell me that?" she looked at him, incredulous, her voice putting emphasis to the last part of her statement. "Feeling up to some game of cat and mouse?"

The bartender served their drinks and moved onto other customers.

James gazed towards the exit doors, for he was now deeply regretting this conversation. This past week had been another hard week, and this place was the closest thing to his workplace.

Noticing how he was withdrawing from her, Lisa changed her tune. Who said I was looking for something serious?" she smiled widely. "I'm already in a relationship, anyways….." She toyed with the ring on her ring finger. "I'm engaged to this super-nice guy who I don't really want to marry."

"So…you come to bars to find a replacement?" James smirked. "Maybe you didn't hear me right when I said I wasn't lookin'?"

Lisa finished off her margarita. "Are you sure you don't want me to set up that navigation for you?" she mocked, with a smug look on her face.

For a moment, he focused on his drink, his lips curving into a wry smile as his fingers traced circles around his glass. Then, he looked up and studied her carefully. He would have expected for her to have walked off at this point. Yet, she stayed.

"I ain't gay" he glanced up, a trace of a smile still visible. "But feel free to believe whatever you want." He shrugged his shoulders and finished off his drink.

Lisa turned to the bartender for yet another drink. The latter turned to James, asking if he needed a refill. James nodded.

"Look…I only bought ya a drink the other day…cause you remind me of someone else I used to know."

"Still hung up on your ex, huh?" It was more a statement than a question.

"She ain't an ex anything," he spat.

Somehow, they wound up at his place that night. He knew she was still engaged; but he actually found it easier this way, he thought it was less likely that she would demand more from him that he could give.

Miles found out about this new relationship soon enough. "Finally, it's about time you moved on!" Miles had exclaimed with no trace of cynicism. Never mind that James had conveniently left out the part about Lisa being engaged and how in the end he was just as alone as ever. Still, it was nice to have Miles off his back.

For nearly a year, he continued to fight a battle with his own inner demons, while Lisa stayed at his place only on those weekends that did not interfere with his time with his daughter. Yet the past was still there, like the heavy stomping of his feet upon the ground. Some days he would drag his feet out of bed, didn't feel like answering the phone, and yet couldn't bear to close the door on his memories of _her_.

Even on his darkest days, he still carried on. Sometimes, Lisa was there with her CoverGirl smile to share an instant breakfast, and he liked to pretend (at least for a little while) that this somehow made up for the pain of being cheated out of a lifetime with _her_.

One particular morning, while serving two cups of not-so-freshly brewed coffee, Lisa told him that she had broken off her engagement.

He waited for her to continue, adding cream and sugar to his coffee, stirring it more times than it was necessary.

"I just couldn't do it, you know…I sat there with him trying to select our wedding invitations. I just couldn't go through with it…so I walked out."

James raised his eyebrows, slowly poking his head from behind the curtains. He certainly wasn't expecting this.

"The feeling of freedom was incredible, you know…" Lisa sighed with excitement.

James half smiled, the corner of his mouth turning up a little as though she had said something funny. "This feeling of freedom…ain't all it's cracked up to be." He said, looking out into the distance. "I was on my own all my life…thinking it was better that way. And then, just when I found the one person who I could trust to have my back...she was taken away from me." He took a sip of his coffee, which was now bitter and cold, yet he barely noticed. "If I could go back in time, you know, I would trade a lifetime of freedom for just another five minutes with her."

**A/N:** To be continued… next chapter.

Thanks for reading, thanks to all who reviewed :)


	21. Double J

**A/N: **1) In this chapter: a) Sideways: we learn of Juliet's new-found affection for hummingbirds. b) Post-island: Miles discovers that J names are still far from becoming extinct. c) 1976 timeline: MORE Miles? Does he really have anything to do with the title for this chapter?

2) 1976 timeline has a first time ever flash forward. So far, I've kept Dharma and sideways timelines in chronological order, post -island being the only one out of sequence. I thought this would help avoid any confusion. Anyhow, it just made sense to insert the 1976 scene at this point rather than later on

3) Post- island: I'm still using the lyrics of the song _Carry On_ by Fun.

* * *

Double J

_The next morning, Jack and Juliet had breakfast together in silence. It was one of those rare mornings when their child was catching up on some sleep._

_They were sitting at their 70's style diner booth tucked nicely in a corner of their spacious kitchen. Juliet had always liked that booth with its deep pocketed leather padding, each pocket accented with a large button set within the cushion, and each corner of the base was supported by a round tubular leg; elegant but simple. Tall window panes providing an unobstructed view to their far reaching garden. An outdoor awning kept the sun from bearing too harshly on their quaint breakfast nook._

_Juliet stared out the window, barely nibbling on her eggs and toast. _

_Her eyes widened at the sight of three little hummingbirds hovering in her flower garden. Her appreciation for one of God's most beautiful creations had grown ten fold ever since she had taken an active interest in bird watching. _

_Hummingbirds were territorial by nature, and typically chase other birds away, eating out of the feeder one at a time. Hence her surprise to see that this morning, all three birds were nicely taking turns around the red bird feeder with protruding spouts shaped like Hollyhocks, which she had strategically placed around a vast array of trumpet flowers._

_All of a sudden, one of the birds flew away, leaving the other two engaging in some type of dance. The one she assumed to be the male was flying around at top speeds in a U shaped pattern... Perhaps trying to impress his female companion?_

_Jack cleared his throat. _

_Juliet's mind was suddenly forced to land in the present moment. Did she miss anything? _

"_I said I'll be on call, I'm taking over someone else's shift" Jack stated, his tone impatient, as though it was a chore to repeat himself._

"_Uh huh" Juliet nodded._

_She turned her attention back to the hummingbirds. Now, one of the birds was laying still on the flat part of the bird feeder while the other bird moved rapidly behind it. Juliet's heart skipped a beat, wondering if this was some kind of mating behavior or whether one of the birds was suddenly dead. She drew in an almost imperceptible gasp._

_Jack was now staring at her, as he stood in front of the window panes, blocking her view. One look at Jack told her he would not have the patience for this. Thus, she said nothing about the birds. _

_Jack glanced at his watch. He was going to be late for work. _

_Noting his demeanor escalating to rush mode, Juliet's lips moved as though getting ready to speak. _"Jack, we need to talk."_She could hear the words so clearly in her head as though she had in fact spoken them out loud, yet no actual sounds had left her lips._

_He walked towards the door in great haste. Then, about halfway there, he turned around as though he had forgotten something. He really did not have the time; he turned about, and mumbled a quick goodbye. _

_The sound of the door shutting behind him echoed through the house like a loud trumpet. Out in the garden, the two hummingbirds were back fluttering about merrily. Juliet's entire body relaxed as she breathed in a deep sigh of relief. _

_This was going to be a good day, she decided. She was going to enjoy her day off and whatever alone time she had before her son woke up. Thus, She flipped open her laptop and started surfing the net, while enjoying a bite of her toast. First, she looked up more information on hummingbirds. Amazingly, there were 340 different types; the ones in her garden were the ruby-throated variety. _

_Then, she noticed there was an e-mail from the photographer she had recently hired for a photo shoot. A sunny smile crossed her lips when she viewed the attached photo proofs. David was sporting his best smile, as he stood against a lattice white fence that served as a backdrop. Her eyes focused on the adorable Popeye- the- sailor-man suit her son was wearing._

_She had the distinct impression that something about the picture was decidedly familiar… yet she couldn't quite put her finger on it. _

* * *

**2015 **

**Courtroom, 11:41 a.m. **

James took his time answering the question. His attorney had warned him about speaking out of turn, and/or expressing hostility against the other parent in court. There were times when he wanted to dispute inflammatory statements, yet had to bite his tongue. Both lawyers had been arguing back and forth and the judge put an end to it all by asking the question himself.

"How many times have you actually visited your son in the last year?"

"Just twice" James answered from his seat. Since this was a custody hearing and not a trial, he was free to answer the question without having to take the witness stand. He took a deep breath, grateful for the opportunity to explain.

A year earlier….

The first time he saw Jonah had been one of the longest days of his life. He had taken the first available flight to New York early that Saturday morning after the baby's birth and had planned to return to Alabama the following day.

A nurse had pointed Jonah to him through the clear window panes. Hospital policy was that only the parents were allowed inside the nursery. Legally, Jonah's parents were Lisa and her new husband.

"So which one is it?" Miles asked, looking at the sea of baby faces.

James looked at Miles, temporarily disoriented. He had almost forgotten his friend who for some reason never failed to be there when he needed someone the most…pretty much in the same way that Cricket was there for Pinocchio, rain or shine.

"That one" James replied, gesturing towards the infant laying in a see-through crib directly across from where he was standing. He was asleep; his little head to the side so that all that was visible to the observer was his side profile.

"You mean that little fellow? Miles asked, raising one eyebrow. "WOW, He's already in good company…"

James gave him a quizzical look.

"You know, so young …and already sitting pretty between two girls." Miles observed with a conspiratorial smile.

James stifled a chuckle. The two other infants on either side of Jonah were swaddled in pink blankets.

"What's his name?" Miles inquired.

James hesitated. "Uh…Jonah."

Miles peered at him and turned his head as though not sure whether he had misheard. "Noah?"

"It's Jonah" James corrected him in a firm voice.

A slow mischievous smile formed on Miles' lips, along with a certain twinkle in his eyes. _This was going to be fun._

"It's Jonah…..with a J" James clarified with a wry smile. He could tell that Miles was thinking the same thing, _okay, okay, let's have it!_

Miles grinned. "Uh huh…With a J…what's the difference? They're both bible characters… both into high stakes sea travel at a time when people believed in sea monsters and in the earth being flat…. and they were both spared from certain death by none other than God almighty himself!"

James did not respond. He simply continued staring at the baby.

"You could talk to her you know, maybe your baby mama will talk to them nurses, and you could see him up close" Miles suggested, matter of factly with a slight twitch of one of the corners of his mouth. This situation really sucked.

James shook his head. His relationship with Lisa had become quite strained right after she told him about the pregnancy. In hindsight, (and after reading a copy of Men Are from Mars and Women Are from Venus SHE had left behind), he realized that she probably had expected something from him. Further, all along he'd been wrong to expect her to understand that he still felt as though he was cheating on Juliet. She didn't stick around very long though… within 48 hours, she had packed up her bags, married her former long distance fiancé Vegas style, and moved to New York. The end result was that he had no legal rights to this child.

"He was named after her grandfather" James said all of a sudden. This was a safer topic of conversation.

Miles chuckled. "You're shitting me!."

"Nope" James half smiled.

"Sooner of later there will be no J names left, and you'll have to start recycling them…"

"What the heck you talkin' 'bout?" James stared down at Miles.

"You know, for your next kid…"

"Next kid?" his tone just on the edge of becoming defensive, a deep crease bulged in the middle of his forehead.

"You telling me that you're all done now…sowing your wild oats?" Miles continued with a poker face.

James' scowl became even more pronounced.

"Maybe next time, wear a pair of birth control glasses…you know, like those heavy dorky frames you used to wear back in the day…." Miles teased, cocking his head, corners of his mouth lifting just a tad. "And ditch those damn contact lenses?"

"Alright, Wiseguy…who needs them glasses when all YOU gotta do is open your big mouth?"

Miles had a point. Still, he thought, _it ain't none of his goddamn business… _

About planning: Well, Jonah had been unplanned just like James Jr had been. Yet there was a big difference. His bond towards James Jr was just a natural extension of the love for his mother: he was _their_ son. Every time he had looked into the boy's eyes, it was like coming home with a bottle of wine on the Fourth of July.

On the other hand, when he looked at Jonah for the first time, all he could think about was how he could have done things differently. Maybe he should have been more careful, shoulda double checked…definitely too many 'should haves'. Etc, etc, etc. Yet, who was he kidding anyways?

Sometimes you just wanna believe you're invincible and you carry on thinking that everything would be just fine. And you silence all unspoken expectations and any 'should haves' that you don't want to think about.

And then one day you hold the phone to your ear, you hear the news and you realize you were only human after all. And you can't believe that the time has come to put your feet squarely upon the ground. Obligation comes knocking at your door. The sounds of silence can no longer be ignored. And then, there you are roaming the hallways of a hospital, feeling your head's on fire. How you ever gonna make up for all the times you swore you could cheat it all?

"Let's go…" James said, heading towards one of the hospital exits with Miles trailing behind him. "Let's grab a beer."

* * *

October 1976

Miles took a sip of his Dharma labeled beer. There was nothing like relaxing in front of the TV on a Sunday afternoon, watching the World Series… Especially as a guest in the home of his pal LaFleur.

In the meantime, Juliet was busy in the kitchen and James was trying to figure out what was wrong with the fridge which was not cooling at optimum temperature.

James Jr was at that golden age when babies are like little crawling machines that get into everything. Outwardly, Miles lamented the fact that his own TV was broken while secretly enjoying the baby's antics.

Although, he mostly enjoyed announcing such antics in a loud fashion:

"Double J! is getting too close to that outlet!" Or "Oh oh, "Double J is getting his hands in the cookie jar!" (meaning the plate of cookies sitting on the coffee table). Yet, he would refuse to lift a finger to re-direct the child, instead he enjoyed watching both parents as they scrambled to do all the re-directing while also trying to get other things done around the house.

"Stop calling him Double J!" James hissed, sporting one of his Sawyer-style impatient stares, before turning back to the task at hand.

"Why not?" Miles countered as he lay back on the couch with his hands behind his head and the heels of his shoes resting squarely on the coffee table. "In honor of both his parents…J and J…..One single J? Nah, boring. " He turned towards Juliet. "Besides, that's sort of discriminatory…don't you think, Juliet? Why should his J count but not yours?"

"I don't have time for this right now, Miles" Juliet spoke in a motherly fashion, as she scrambled to get some vegetables together for a salad. Then, she peeked into the living room to make sure that her child was doing okay. He was playing with some toys on the floor next to the couch. She thought it was such a blessing that she could still keep an eye on him from practically any corner of her quaint little kitchen.

"James… Give me hand, will you?" Juliet pulled James aside, got him to stop working on the fridge. "You know he's enjoying this, don't you? Just ignore him, and he'll stop…it's just like being back in grade school."

He gave her one of those, _I don't know what you're talking about _looks.

"Everyone knows that the best way to deal with a bully is by ignoring him" Juliet assured him.

His lips curved into a crooked smile. "Can't believe you bought all that bullshit that schools try to shove down your throat! Schools ain't nothin' but breeding grounds for pushovers!"

Juliet gave him one of her Other-style deadpan looks that she used whenever something made her uncomfortable and she was trying to figure out the best response. Back in third grade, there had been a clique of girls who had singled her out as their pushover of choice. They would always make nasty comments. They made fun of the way she ate her PB and J sandwich (she liked to eat it with raisins on top). They did not stop bothering her until one day, Rachel and her team of 5th graders joined her at the lunch tables.

He knew her well enough to know that he had inadvertedly reminded her of her former pre-island self. His old pre-island self would have had pre-island Juliet for breakfast. In any case, he still couldn't picture his knock- down-Kate-Austen-with-a pool-stick Juliet acting like a pushover.

He didn't realize he'd been smiling like a Cheshire cat until she pointed it out.

"What's so funny?"

"Y'know when you were with the Others…" he waited for her to nod in order to continue. "Not this last time…but the first time…." He paused again, stifling a chuckle. "And you came at Kate with a pool stick…remember that?

Juliet nodded again. "Yeah…yeah…" she chuckled. How could she not remember that? In one graceful move, she had bridged the distance between them and locked her arms around his neck.

"I tell ya one thing…." He smirked. "There's only one person in this world I would ever trust to get my back…"

"Hmm…and who's that?" she gave him one long playful look, lowering her eyelashes Marilyn Monroe style.

In response, he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a short sweet kiss.

Right then, they heard the sound of a dishware cracking on the floor, followed by laughter. _Oh, shit…the baby…._

James instantly went back to nickname calling mode. "Hey, Mr. Miyagi wanna be…" he said to Miles as he walked back into the living room.

Juliet nearly bumped into James who had suddenly stopped on his tracks to stare at the scene before his eyes.

This was one of those moments that made life in Dharmaville such a joyride.

Juliet rushed to get her Polaroid camera which she always kept handy for special moments like this.

James Jr, who was clad in the same Popeye- the –sailor- man suit Juliet had brought from Tahiti, had pushed himself up to stand on wobbly feet holding on to the edge of the coffee table. He stood there flashing his heart throbbing dimples, long strands of sun-streaked hair curling about his forehead, and with cookie crumbs all over his face.

"I helped J.J a little…he couldn't reach the cookie" Miles explained with a genuine smile. "I figured it was better than having him with his face next to the cat's bowl" he added, satisfied with the fun he had thus far, ready to call it a day.

Of course, Juliet took a boat load of pictures.

James and Juliet looked at each other with an open, ready smile. J.J_…hmm… Well, that was definitely better_…J.J had a nice ring to it, they both decided right then and there.

**A/N** 1) J.J's name, it's supposed to have a period between the two J's and at the end (as in J.J. Abrams), but this period after the last J was driving me insane when proofreading. Whenever I see a period, I think I need to capitalize, so from now on I will do without the last period. Period.

2) I will not go into much detail about Lisa and her relationship with James, unless it specifically relates to Jonah. Stay tuned for I have lots more planned for this story. This roller coaster ride is just about to get to get to its tallest peak (within the next few chapters), and when we finally get to the very top, we'll get a clear view of the path ahead. Thanks so much for your continued reviews :)


	22. Whatever You Think I Am, I'm Not

**A/N:** 1) In this chapter: a) first scene with Locke is the continuation of the beginning part of chapter 19. b) Miles tells James and Juliet what he saw outside the bedroom. c) James and Richard have a talk. d) Eloise shares an important message while Miles continually tries to make light of the situation.

2) _Summary of Locke's test: Episode 3.20, Cabin Fever._ Richard visits five year old John Locke and tells his foster mother that he's there to evaluate the boy for his special school. Richard sets six items on a table and asks Locke which things belong to him. Little Locke asks: "to keep?" Richard says: "No, no, which of these things belong to you _already?_" Locke first selects a capsule with granules and a compass. Richard appears to be okay with these two choices. Then, he grabs the knife sitting on top of a magazine. Richard disapproves, asks him if he's sure, and then tells him that it does not belong to him. There is no general consensus as to why Richard leaves so abruptly and says that John Locke is not ready for his school yet. Therefore, I will go with the most likely explanation: Richard wanted Locke to choose The Book of Law, which is evidenced by Richard's face showing approval when Locke looks over at the book just before settling for the knife.

* * *

Whatever You Think I Am, I'm Not

January 1976

Jin and Locke were playing a game of backgammon while sitting on two short stools in front of a low rounded wooden table. Nearby, four men watched them play from the two arched doorways. In this way, the area they were in was a sort of covered walkway that connected one end of the temple to the other.

Richard walked in from the north side.

"You seem to have a very good sense of the game, John" Richard greets him in a friendly yet collected manner.

Locke's face beams with recognition, as he clearly recalled when Richard had visited him as a child and had presented him with a test. In that test, he had been presented with six items: a compass, a magazine, some granules in a test tube, a baseball glove, a knife and a book.

"I knew you wanted me to pick the Book of law…"

"Why didn't you?" Richard said simply, no trace of emotion on his face.

The corners of Locke's mouth turned up a little. "I wanted the knife…"

Richard's smile was faint.

"You heard the story of Norman Croucher?" Locke continued offhandedly.

At this point, Jin who had been focused mostly on the game made a killing move and won the game. Locke took the news with a good natured chuckle.

This time Richard's smile did reach his eyes.

"He was a double amputee no legs who climbed to the top of Mount Everest…he made it his destiny" Locke added as a way of an explanation. "My destiny was to come to this island, Richard…The knives were part of my journey…"

"So, that's why you turned down my offer to work at our Mittelos summer camp…" Richard observed matter of factly. "Hunting was not your real destiny, John…you do see that now, don't you?"

Locke pursed his lips. "You're wrong…you misjudged me. The knives I brought with me were instrumental in order to survive on this craphole island those first few weeks after the crash" Locke peered over at Jin who was listening intently. "Jin's my witness…how many bore did we hunt down with my knives in our early days?"

"We couldn't have survived without Locke's hunting skills" Jin affirmed.

Richard did not say a word; he seemed to be considering the implications of Jin's statement.

"Your men over there" Jin's eyes pointed at the men standing by the two arched doorways. "They need to take a break… They have been standing there forever…and we need to get back home." Jin said in an assertive manner.

Right then, two young girls walked in bearing some fresh fruit in serving trays. There were some bananas and uncut mangoes. Locke positioned the game board on the floor so that there was room for the food tray. Then, he took out a knife.

Miles opened the door down the hallway at exactly this point ...

* * *

Miles quickly shut the door. Then, he took a deep breath, and turned around with a blank look on his face.

"What's wrong?" James demanded harshly. "What did you see out there?"

"It's Locke…" Miles said slowly, gazing left and right as though expecting to be followed. "He's got a knife…"

"I'd better go and check it out" James replied with a furrowed brow. But then, he looked back at Juliet and hesitated. He had just promised himself that he would not lose sight of her now that he finally had her back. Yet, he wasn't about to hide like a coward.

"James" Juliet called him with some uneasiness, their baby now resting peacefully in her arms.

"I…can't just leave you here…I still don't trust them…"

"I'll go with you" she said, sliding over to the edge of the bed.

"No!" James exclaimed in an urgent tone. One of the Others/nurses had mentioned that Juliet would need to stay in bed until at least the next day.

"James, we won't really know whether it will continue bleeding unless I try to get up" she interjected.

"How about if I stayed with her, Jim?" Miles offered. "They're only a couple of steps away, you'll be able to tell if something fishy happens…sides, I think they've shown us a measure of good faith" Miles was somewhat surprised at his own words. "After all, they didn't take away my weapon when I arrived…I still have it…I guess they must have trusted me enough to not start a shooting spree."

"Geez, I dunno…one look at you and they'd figured that going postal was not your style" James countered. "Still, I'll trust you, Yao Ming…I'll check it out" he gazed at Juliet with a mix of affection and concern. "Is that okay with you, Sweetheart?"

Juliet nodded and took a deep breath. "Just be careful…" she spoke softly, trying to sound more confident than she really felt. "I love you…"

"It'll be alright," he gave her a light kiss on the lips and she stroked the back of his head. Then, his eyes rested on their baby who seemed so content in his sleep; his innocence the best defense against the uncertainty of the world around him.

As James headed out the door, he nearly bumped into Eloise again. He frowned and turned back to give Miles a stern _you better take this seriously look._ Miles responded with a silent _"I can handle it_" gesture and by shaking his head in disbelief.

"Just go already!" Miles said as once again James hesitated at the door. "If we need ya, we'll holler!"

* * *

He found Locke casually cutting pieces of a mango, and eating them right off the knife, while Richard looked on with an amused yet aloof expression.

"We were talking about the Book of Law, better known as the Old Testament" Locke said to James with a hint of lightheartedness in his voice. "It's full of stories of men who were specifically selected for a purpose…just the story of Jonah alone is greatly inspiring…

James noticed that everyone in the room appeared to be relatively relaxed, even Richard. Jin had relegated himself to the corner of the room; he looked as if he was about to fall asleep as he leaned against a wall. It seemed as though Miles had over-reacted and made a mountain out of a molehill.

"Jonah was stubborn…even though in the beginning he did the opposite of what he was told, in the end he followed his purpose and preached to the people of Nineveh…" Richard concluded with a pleased look on his face.

"Well, I've got a question for ya" James started, his eyes boldly surveying Richard. He just had to press the matter one more time. "You baptized my son without my permission…what was the purpose in that?"

"We only wanted to help you" Said Richard in a soft yet confident voice. "We knew Juliet was about to give birth, much better here than in the jungle, don't you think?

"Yeah, I guess that explains keeping us prisoners, makes perfect sense" said James with a crooked smile. "Just in case we were just too proud to accept your so called help" he added with a dose of heavy sarcasm.

Richard continued as though he had not heard a word James had said. "As to your son…we had the best intentions." He paused, his expression darkening. "Train up a child the way in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it"***

James shook his head. "I think that verse is supposed to be directed at us parents…certainly not at you…" he regarded Richard with a suspicious look.** "**Anyways, what's this thing about him being special? What did you mean by that?"

"All children are special" Richard quickly answered.

James' suspicion grew. Something in him became uneasy at such a rebuff, yet he could not let this show. He regarded Richard with a crooked smile as he planned his next move. Usually, unexpected actions worked best when trying to throw someone off track.

"Well…then…" he took a deep breath, blinked his eyes a few times and let out a hint of a yawn. "I think we're all tired and need to get some rest before we head out in the morning" he said casually as he grabbed a banana from the fruit tray, peeled it, and ate it in two bites.

* * *

Miles brought in a chair from the table set situated in the far corner of the room. He had just settled in for a nice chat with Juliet when Eloise approached them. Without hesitation and as though her presence was welcomed without question, she sat at the rocking chair beside Juliet's bed, and directly across Miles with the grace of a royal queen in command.

For a moment, she eyed Miles curiously with a slight tilting of the head and then introduced herself, forgoing any shake of hands. As soon as Miles provided her with his name, she seemed to have lost all interest in him and turned to Juliet.

"Glad to see you're better…" She began with a slight sneer. "I thought you'd like to know…the woman you attacked during your little escapade is recovering just fine….

Juliet's eyes widened as she sat up straighter against the headboard. Of course she was glad the woman in question was fine, she had only meant to temporarily incapacitate her.

Eloise sat at the rocking chair by Juliet's bed and regarded the baby with a touch of motherly tenderness. Juliet's whole body tensed up, alarm bells ringing in her head.

"Can I hold him?" Eloise asked politely while admiring the sleeping child. "He's like an angel sent from heaven…" she commented softly to herself mostly.

In response, Juliet gave her an icy glare while physically retreating further away from Eloise towards the middle of the bed.

Eloise pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. "Whatever you think I am, I'm not," Eloise remarked.

"Sure!" Juliet remarked uncensored.

"Gee, I dunno…uh " Miles tilted his head and nodded in slow motion, as though in deep thought. "But maybe you holding them hostage for like three whole days might have something to do with her obvious sense of mistrust" Miles remarked with a happy-go-lucky snicker.

Eloise acted as though Miles had not spoken. "You're here for a reason…and so am I" she gave Juliet an unfathomable look. "I have a message for you…" she added almost regretfully. "It's from Jacob…"

_Jacob…here we go again!_ Juliet rolled her eyes.

"Your son" Eloise paused. "When the time comes, he must meet his father in New York…at Central Park by the polar bears"

Juliet made no attempt to stifle a chuckle. _New York…Central Park…polar bears…_Was this woman playing some kind of game?

Miles laughed with gusto. "New York? What the heck would Jim be doing in New York of all places?" Try as he might, he couldn't picture this. The idea was laughable to say the least. "Why does it have to be at Central Park?" he turned to Juliet with a cynical look, and spoke in a low tone as though he was honestly trying to nudge Juliet into buying his idea. "Ask for the Empire State Building instead…you know, like in _Sleepless in Seattle._"

"Yeah…Miles…that would be fine," Juliet said in a condescending tone. "Except I don't think this is meant to be a romantic encounter…" she slowly voiced each word, relishing the fact that this was allowing her extra time to think." She gazed at her sweet baby; it was hard to imagine him going anywhere, let alone a far away place like New York City. "Why should I believe any of this?" Juliet turned to Eloise, raising an eyebrow and pursing her lips.

"I suppose that's your choice…my job is to deliver the message" Eloise replied matter of factly.

"When is this supposed to happen, Mother Shipton?" Miles mocked with no reservations.

"Oh, she'll know when the time comes" Eloise turned on an enigmatic look. "There will be tears and a moon eclipse…" her eyes intently focused on Juliet. "That's when you'll know…and you'll need to let your son go."

Juliet's eyes widened. She felt a shiver go down her spine.

"That would be the hardest part…to let him go" Eloise reiterated. "But you must, for there will only be one window open for a short moment in time."

"Hmm…sort of like that old motto 'if you love somebody set him free'? Miles questioned, as if trying to clarify something.

"More like if you love somebody you need to trust" Eloise commented, her eyes set on Juliet. "I see love between you and…" she paused for a few seconds. "Romeo" she smiled, satisfied at having found the right word. "You and your Romeo…"

Juliet's eyes deadpanned.

"The thing is that…there will be some doubt…" Eloise continued with a wan smile. "You'll see and hear things that will make you doubt his love for you…and it will be happen twice…the thing is that you will get a second chance… but not a third."

"Oh, I get it!" Miles intervened, not wanting to be left out of the loop. "Sort of like that movie, the _postman always rings twice._"

Juliet considered this for a moment.

Eloise barely looked at Miles, acting as though he had not spoken.

"You gotta believe in him, dear… no matter what you hear."

Something about the way the woman said those words made a distinct impression, forcing its way into the depths of her soul. "Why are you telling me this now?" Juliet inquired.

"Because next time we meet, I won't remember this conversation…"

Juliet peered at her almost in a trance, almost afraid to ask, "and why is that?"

"Because this conversation would not have happened just yet." She walked towards the door. "Oh, and hold on to the ring…always wear it" Eloise said as an afterthought and left before Juliet could say another word.

"We should have told her about the bears at the polar bear cages…" Miles stated after a long silence. "No need to go to Central Park for that…"

**A/N: 1) Footnote: ***Proverbs 22:6 **


	23. Don't Mistake Coincidence For Fate

**A/N**: in this chapter: Dharma and post-island timelines. I will refer to James Jr as J.J from this point on to avoid confusion.

Trivia: The title of this chapter is a catchphrase spoken by both Mr. Eko (_What Kate Did_) and Locke (_The cost of living). _

* * *

Don't Mistake Coincidence for Fate

**2014**

Bouncing towards the automatic doors with the zeal of _Tigger, Winnie the Pooh's_ unforgettable companion from the Hundred Acre Woods, J.J stepped onto the floor mat. His eyes danced with boundless anticipation as the doors parted open.

_Fun, fun, fun! _

Preoccupied with more pressing matters, Aunt Rachel, Uncle Mark, and Julian followed closely behind. They passed by J.J, fully engaged in an animated discussion regarding Julian's so called addiction to Nintendo DS.

"James!" Aunt Rachel called him with urgency, realizing that he had become an obstacle to others attempting to get around him.

Reluctantly, J.J dragged his feet forward as if they had just turned into blocks of stone. Wanting nothing but to bounce back and make the magic happen again, he turned to watch the doors closing with a cheerless look on his face.

He didn't have time to dwell on his disappointment for just around the corner he was pleasantly rewarded by the sight of the elevators further down the lobby.

There were eight elevators, four on each side of a long corridor. Now that was more excitement that he could bear. His eyes, afraid to miss any important details, darted back and forth to look at the numbers over the elevators counting up, counting down; as he frantically tried to predict which elevator would reach the lobby the soonest.

As the numbers kept changing, he wondered what would happen if one of the elevators got stuck between two stories…would the indicator go blank or would just show one of the numbers in between?

Next thing he knew, Aunt Rachel was calling him again. He slid inside the elevator just in the nick of time. The crowd huddled inside did not appreciate having to wait for he had been the last aboard. His mind still thinking about the other elevators.

"Of course, they will let the boys visit…I called ahead and checked" Aunt Rachel told Uncle Mark as the elevator reached the third floor.

J.J was itching to push all the buttons and make the elevator make a stop at each floor, but Aunt Rachel did not let him. Besides, they had reached their destination, she pointed out matter of factly.

"They're seven and twelve…they're well behaved" Aunt Rachel said to one of the nurses at the nurses' station.

"She's like a sister to me; we grew up together in the Midwest…" Uncle Mark stated rather fondly. "We drove up all the way from Florida… three days on the road…yep, this is our first trip to the Big Apple… "

J.J heard the rest as snippets of small talk. _Miami Vice._ The Sunshine State. Green apples are the best.

"30 minutes max per day, no exceptions." The nurse's voice was stern.

Across the hallway, just a few feet away from the nurses' station, they met a blonde lady in a hospital bed who greeted them with a wide friendly smile. While Aunt Rachel and Uncle Mark talked to the lady, J.J's eyes scanned the room for new things to explore. He was immediately drawn to the ceiling high window panes which showed a spectacular view of the city.

"Oh, he's so beautiful…he's barely got any hair!" Aunt Rachel exclaimed, delighted. "Bald babies are the cutest!"

Julian settled comfortably on an nicely padded armchair with his Nintendo Ds.

For a few moments, J.J watched him play. He sighed. Then, he took out of his pocket a blue matchbox car, and started rolling it on the window sill.

"Yeah, well…If Mark gets that position in New Jersey, we will definitely see each other more often" Aunt Rachel said enthusiastically.

"I don't like to brag" Uncle Mark started. "But… It's practically a done deal."

Wonderful!

"What about **him**?" J.J heard the stranger say in a hushed tone. "What are you gonna do with **him**?"

Even though he knew they were talking about him, he continued pretending that his little car was driving in the street outside the hospital. Vroom, vroom…back and forth, back and forth…

Then, he heard Aunt Rachel call his name.

Slowly, he approached the adults whose eyes openly scrutinized him. That's when his gaze fell on the lady with the baby swaddled in a blanket.

"Jimmy, this is my cousin Lisa…and her baby Jonah" Uncle Mark said as a way of an introduction. "Lisa and I are cousins, just like you and Julian."

J.J pursed his lips and sighed heavily. It was James… not Jimmy, Buddy, Sport or any other name. He didn't understand why some adults insisted on calling him Jimmy.

"How do you do, Ma'am," J.J said with the old fashioned politeness, innocence and charm of The Beaver from _Leave it to Beaver_ shinning through_**. **_"My name is James."

"Hi, James…" Lisa smiled at him the way some adults do when they are trying their hardest to be extra nice to little kids. "Would you like to say hi to the baby?"

J.J shrugged and leaned over to take a good look at the infant. He noticed the baby's hazel eyes directly gazing at him.

"Well, what do you think?" Aunt Rachel asked. "Isn't he sweet? I bet you'd never seen a baby this tiny before…"

For a moment, J.J hesitated. "He's…huh…wrinkly." _I thought I was the only one! _Then, J.J did what he did best. He shrugged. His eyes widened, naturally adopting a deadpan look.

The adults laughed. _Out of the mouths of babes!_

"Well, he was just born, Sweetheart" Aunt Rachel explained in an overly sweet tone of voice, the kind that nice- all-knowing- adults use when talking to clueless-little-kids. "In just a couple of weeks he won't be as wrinkly."

J.J continued to stare at the baby with a poised demeanor.

The adults looked at one another and became visibly uncomfortable with the silence.

Aunt Rachel cleared her throat and then spoke to Lisa. "He's a real sweetheart…" she put an arm around his shoulders. "He just doesn't talk much," she gave him a gentle squeeze, trailing her fingers down his arm affectionately.

* * *

**January 1976**

Given that they were not at home and he figured he needed to be prepared, he climbed in bed fully clothed…just in case. Thankfully, he'd had the chance to freshen up earlier and change into more comfortable clothing: namely a t-shirt and a pair of loose fitting jeans.

They lay in bed together side by side, facing each other, covers hanging loosely around their legs. Their baby lay wedged comfortably between them; his tiny hand curled up into a fist against his mother's chest while he nursed.

His gaze shifted between her and the child nursing so peacefully at her breast. Something about the way mother and child fit together stirred something in him that he was sure he'd never experienced before.

"I'm afraid I'll roll over him in my sleep," he admitted with some trepidation, as his hand gently stroked the baby's cheek. Who was to say that his mind in an unconscious state would not fail to register the baby's presence? This was a whole new experience for him; he'd never slept in the same bed with an infant before…and he had a reputation for being a restless, heavy sleeper. What he did in his sleep was a variable that he simply could not control.

She was mesmerized by the tenderness in his eyes as he continued to softly brush their baby's head with the back of his hand. It stirred within her this fierce need to become one with him, to make sure once again of his love for her. Why she needed this re-assurance was somewhat of a mystery to her, given that at moments like this he was so unguarded with her and so devoid of that sardonic look which was his mask to the outside world…she just knew there was no way he had shared so much of himself with anyone else in this way.

He marveled at how smooth and silky the baby's hair felt, his senses overcome with the soothing scent of baby powder which until this day had been so foreign to him.

"Stay" she said, barely louder than a whisper. She just couldn't let him settle in the rocking chair as he intended for she knew he was completely exhausted from ongoing lack of sleep. "It'll be alright," she reassured him, tracing his lips with her fingertip, and then pulling back a little to examine every feature of his face. If she had to, she would just sleep all night with one eye open.

His smile flashed white in the dark.

Rays of light spilled through a small ceiling height window.

In the quietness of the night, her moonlit eyes were a nice contrast to her pearly white nightgown.

He wondered, forehead relaxed and eyes half closed, whether he had fallen asleep already… or whether he had just caught a glimpse of heaven.

"You're the most beautiful, sexiest woman I've met" he muttered out, his voice deep and grainy.

She smiled softly, any traces of insecurity vanished into oblivion. Running her lips against his newly shaven skin, she inched up to snuggle up to that spot between his neck and his jaw. Somehow, part of her missed that stubble look he so liked to sport. Then, she closed her eyes, drinking his intoxicating scent that she had missed so much.

Wishing that he could hold her close, he gently tugged her lower lip, again and again until their lips effusively met in a pool of passion intertwined with a stroke of tenderness.

It had only been three days, but he already missed the way they always slept together with her braced against his back. The best part was the way her entire body wrapped around his with her nude breasts against his back even as he slept.

With the baby still nestled at her breast, he had no such hopes tonight. Not that he was complaining. His body, now heavy and lethargic, embraced this new sense of closeness which now included a third little person.

They talked quietly about their plans to leave the temple in the morning, their foreheads nuzzling…and then he fell into deep slumber with no warning whatsoever, and just as easily as turning off a light switch.

For a few moments, Juliet watched him sleep and her heart lifted with sheer gratitude. Their baby had fallen asleep too. She now wished she could stop time, so they could stay like this forever, if only she could find a way…

Later that night, as soon as she closes her eyes, she sees her child. _I can't believe he's so beautiful…smart…and all grown up._ He's seven. _Where did all the time go? _With a big smile, she hands him a candy bar with the name Apollo on it. He eats the candy bar ravenously, as though he had never had candy before in his life.

They're together at a park. There's a playground in the distance and a zoo nearby. "Your Aunt Rachel lives in Florida." She repeats the address many times for she does not want him to forget; makes it part of a song that she sings when tucking him in at night.

He kisses her good-bye. Her heart pounds furiously, her breathing becomes labored.

He was only a child, her baby, how could she let him go just like that?

"NO!" Juliet shouts. "You can't go!"

He's gone!

She drowns in a stream of never ending tears.

Her eyes sprang open, her heart pounding so wildly she thought it would burst. It took her a few moments to recognize her surroundings. With a huge sigh of relief, she realized that thankfully her child was still a baby and that James was still sound asleep next to her.

* * *

**2014**

"We're not having any children…ever… We're not going to contribute to the world's over-population debacle," Miles said in a snarky tone. "No offense there, man…to each, its own" he concluded, his eyes shinning with a slick smile.

James was having lunch at a casual restaurant with Miles and his current girlfriend, April. She was in her late twenties, had Asian features and a bubbly personality. They were planning on getting married in a couple of months.

"Wisest thing I've heard you say…" James replied while focusing on the menu. "The world ain't needin' another Miles."

"Children are a lot of work" April swiftly cut in. "We want to enjoy life…" Then, she looked around her with a dreamy look. "There is so much to do and so little time! We can schedule a tour to the Grand Central Terminal and visit the Rockefeller Center…and maybe Central Park,' she added, holding up a visitor's flyer with a cheerful look.

"That's a lot for one day" Miles mildly countered. "And we do have a plane to catch in the morning…"

"You two lovebirds go on ahead, I'll just watch some HBO instead," James said. He wasn't particularly interested in sightseeing.

After a hearty lunch and a quick good-bye, James headed back to the hospital which was located within walking distance from the restaurant. He thought he would make a beeline for the nursery one more time.

He walked past the automatic doors, across the hospital lobby and headed towards the elevators, all in one single unified motion. He paid little attention to the crowd streaming in and out the elevators; his mind busily planning ahead.

This seemed to be one of those days that just seemed to drag on, and he just wanted nothing but to get away from everything and everyone. Just one more thing for him to do and then he would be free to roam in his hotel room for the rest of the day.

It wasn't until the very last possible moment that James saw him staring straight at him. Those eyes…those achingly familiar set of eyes… those hauntingly beautiful blue eyes. Awestruck, he watched the elevator's doors close silently, unable to move a muscle.

A lighted arrow above the elevator indicated that the elevator was going down. Frantically, his eyes darted to the numbers over the elevator, which felt like watching the timer on a bomb running out of time.

_Think, Think!_ He ordered himself.

It stopped at level P2 of the underground parking garage.

A warm feeling, just like a rush of adrenaline, started in his stomach and went through his chest and settled there… and magnified.

He dashed down the stairwell two stairs at a time.

When he reached P2 his footsteps still echoed on the metal stairwell above.

He heard the screeching of tires and car doors slamming just as he burst through the door.

There were a couple of vehicles heading towards the exit signs. _Which one? _

_Where? _His eyes desperately scanned around him, his head throbbing…as if watching a time bomb reaching zero.

He caught a good glimpse of the influx movement of people getting in and out of vehicles. _Son of a bitch!_

It had all happened so fast…

He bent forward, hands clutching his knees, struggling to catch his breath.

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. His heart sank deep down into an abyss. _He's gone_. He had just slipped away…just like that!

* * *

J**.**J squinted against the glare of the midday sun which streamed through as soon as their vehicle emerged from the underground parking garage.

In a daze, he gazed up at the high rise buildings as they weaved in and out of traffic.

His jaw dropped open at the incredible sight of buildings stretching out as far as the eye could see. His mind struggled to take it all in and he found the rapid movements of the vehicle to be quite disorienting.

"Damn!" Uncle Mark cursed, exasperated, as he tried to navigate his way behind the steering wheel of a 2012 Ford Explorer. "We shoulda hailed a cab like most sane people in this city!"

Aunt Rachel looked a bit freaked out as she clutched the sides of the passenger seat, yet she was trying her best to appear cool and collected.

"Kids…we have the rest of the day to do some sightseeing…I heard there's a zoo at Central Park…does that sound like something you'd wanna do today?" Aunt Rachel asked in an upbeat tone.

"Yeah, whatever," Julian answered absent mindlessly. He was right in the middle of a 'very important' Pokemon battle, and he just would have agreed to just about anything at this point.

"James?" Aunt Rachel inquired after a while, turning her whole body back towards J.J who was sitting opposite from her in the back seat. "Where you wanna go, Sweetheart?"

"I…wanna go home." J.J replied with a dejected look on his face.

* * *

**A/N:** Guess what: It's that time of year again! Yep, I checked my calendar and it says that today is the day! It's time to do a regularly scheduled begging session (holiday weekends are the best). I know, I'm not particularly fond of these sessions, but I do like to stay on schedule. I find that it helps me when I write; otherwise I would still be writing chapter 2. And the good news is that the next session won't be until Christmas! YAY! The holidays are one of the best times to review and help spread that holiday cheer.

Okay, then, so here it goes: First of all, thanks so much to everyone who has read and everyone who has reviewed this story in the last few weeks/months. Similarly, there are so many of you that have contributed in one way or another, that I'm afraid I'd forget someone, so no lists.

If you never have reviewed or if you have done so in the past, please let me know you're reading (I always reply to ALL reviews). The thing is, I'm not particularly picky, for I love ALL types of reviews: one word reviews, detailed reviews, happy faces, sad faces, Spanish reviews, happy holidays reviews, mixed reviews, I'm-so-confused-reviews, recurring reviews, good reviews, anonymous guest reviews… you name it! Believe it or not, some of your comments have made an impact on the course of this story!


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